Bottle Shock: The Movie
video: Jim Meets Steven Spurrier
In the summer of 2007, Hollywood descended on wine
country. Randall Miller'sBottle Shock, filmed at Chateau Montelena
Winery and other locations around Napa and Sonoma counties, tells
the true story of a formerly little-known winery and its remarkable
triumph over the French.
SYNOPSIS
Fascinated by the burgeoning California wine industry, the British
owner of a struggling Parisian wine shop, Steven Spurrier (Alan
Rickman), concocts an idea to jumpstart his business and attract
new customers - pit the French against the Americans in a wine
tasting showdown. Certain that the established French wines will
emerge victorious, Spurrier travels to the New World to sample the
wines of Napa Valley with the intention of bringing back a few
bottles to include in the blind tasting.
video: Sam Kisses Bo in Cellar
Upon landing in California, Spurrier meets Chateau Montelena
Winery owner, Jim Barrett (Bill Pullman), an attorney who left the
legal field to start a winery, and his wayward son, Bo (Chris
Pine), who works at the winery alongside his father. Spurrier
samples the Barretts' Chardonnay, finds himself impressed, and
realizes that his planned publicity stunt may have a more profound
impact than he had initially imagined.
Back in Paris, on May 24, 1976, a panel of some of the most
respected names in the French wine industry convenes to participate
in Steven Spurrier's tasting event. In the end, America emerges
triumphant as the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay takes top
honors, putting California at the forefront of the wine world and
changing the future of the wine industry forever. When asked for
comment about the victory, Jim Barrett simply replied, "Not bad for
kids from the sticks."
A LASTING IMPACT
Time Magazine published the results of the tasting and word began
to spread about what had happened in Paris. The news that
California wines were not only good, but comparable to the best
wines of France, opened the doors for the rest of the New World to
produce world class wine. Today, consumers can enjoy outstanding
wines from all over the globe.
BEHIND THE SCENES TOUR
Come visit us at the winery to learn more: visit locations where
scenes were filmed, discuss fact versus fiction, learn about the
actors, and hear stories from the set while tasting the Chardonnay
that started it all.
video: Jim Sabers Chardonnay Bottle