Video: Bottle Shock

Watch the trailer for Bottle Shock.

“Why don’t I like you?”
“Because you think I’m an ass. I’m not, really, it’s just that I’m British and you’re… not.”

It seems that Sideways proved that the formula for making a movie about wine palatable to those who don’t particularly know or care what an “oaky nose” entails is to make your wine appreciators into everyday messed-up people rather than the hoity-toity types who hold their oaky noses up in the air after calling a wine’s scent its ‘bouquet.’ Bottle Shock looks to take this concept to the next level, turning wine-tasting into a sports movie of sorts.

Based on the true story of the infamous 1976 blind wine taste test that has become known as the “Judgment of Paris,” Bottle Shock depicts Napa Valley before it became Napa Valley, back when it was just considered some rednecks with grapes. Bill Pullman stars as Jim Barrett, a dedicated winemaker who also spends time boxing with his son Bo (Chris Pine) and driving around in a dusty old pickup. When Steven Spurrier (Alan Rickman) comes to town with the intention of educating snooty Parisians on the quality of California wine, things start to change in spite of the culture clash.

So only Parisian wine stewards are the snooty ones, and redneck know-how can always trump them snooty Frenchies when it comes to them thar subtleties of palate! Let’s have our Chateau Montelena with Freedom Fries!

Also starring Freddy Rodriguez, Rachel Taylor and Eliza Dushku, the story of the creation of the Napa Valley’s reputation also features Alan Rickman reluctantly sampling Kentucky Fried Chicken. See for yourself.

Also, watch Sideways for free in its entirety right here on Fancast.
And don’t confuse Bottle Shock with Bottle Rocket, Wes Anderson’s breakthrough film, whose trailer you can watch right here.