Bottle Shock

Who: Bill & Melanie
What: Bottle Shock
Where: Borrowed the DVD from our neighbor
Why: It takes place in the Napa Valley

In 1976 the Napa Valley had an emerging reputation of growing high quality grapes, which resulted in some outstanding wines. But outside of a handful of wine connoisseurs, few people were aware of this. Bottle Shock tells the story of a small family-owned winery called Chateau Montelena, and how its wines and other California-based wines (many produced in the Napa Valley) "shocked" the world when they bested the more-established French wines at a blind taste testing known as The Judgement of Paris.

Filmed primarily in the Napa Valley (with nearby Sonoma being used for scenes taking place in Paris), Bottle Shock is an entertaining and enjoyable story with a unique blend of actors of past and present "vintage": Bill Pullman as Jim Barret (owner of Chateau Montelena), Chris Pine as son Bo Barret, Alan Rickman as Steven Spurrier (the man who organized the blind taste test), Rachael Taylor as Samantha, Freddy Rodriguez as Gustavo, Eliza Dushku as a street-smart local bartender named Jo, and Dennis Farina as Maurice.

I was raised in Napa, so anytime I hear of a movie that takes place or was filmed there, it immediately gets my interest. Bottle Shock was one such film. It premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and had a limited run in theaters. Most people probably still have not heard of the movie. It is worth seeking out, not only for its compelling story, but for its incredible cast. In particular, Chris Pine wasn't well known when Bottle Shock was being filmed. That has since changed with his acclaimed performance as the young James T. Kirk in the recent re-launch of the Star Trek franchise. His comes from an acting family: mother Gwynne Gilford has had small roles in TV shows and movies over the years and father Robert Pine is best-known from co-starring in the long-running series "CHiPs". Eliza Dushku has appeared in many popular movies such as True Lies, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and a recurring role in Buffy, the Vampire Slayer. She is currently starring and co-producing in Joss Whedon's latest television series Dollhouse. Rachael Taylor has appeared in a number of recent movies including the 2007 blockbuster Transformers.

Because Bottle Shock is about wines and wine-making, one enhancement to your enjoyment would be to watch the movie with a glass of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir-- preferably from the Napa Valley of course. Salud!