Bottle Shock

I love French wines, but as many of you know, I have a soft spot for Napa and Sonoma. Before leaving Texas my husband and I slipped away for an early lunch and afternoon movie.

Bottle Shock, one of the best films I have seen in a long time, is a charming fictionalized version of the early days of California wine making. It revolves around the historic 1976 blind wine tasting in Paris in which wines from Napa Valley scored a shocking victory over France's noble varietals. The gorgeous cinematography captures the rustic beauty of Napa and it is hugely entertaining to boot. Bottle Shock scored big on the film festival circuit and at Sundance.

Director Randall Miller, who co-wrote the script with his wife Jody Savin, keeps the plot flowing with spirit and intelligence. One of the funny and more memorable lines comes from Alan Rickman who plays Steven Spurrier, a British wine snob based in Paris who travels to Napa to find the underdog vineyards. "I know that you think I'm an asshole," he says to one of the locals, "I'm really not, it's just that I'm British and, well, you're not." I enjoyed every moment of this magical movie.

My only complaint is that the character of Gustavo Brambila wasn't better developed. I really loved his passion and genuine nature. So I felt a bit slighted not to learn more about him and his future. As a nod to Gustavo and the GustavoThrace Vineyard, we stopped by Spec's and bought a bottle of his wine. Oenophile or not this is a must see in my opinion.