Today I watched a wine documentary on Amazon Prime!
Wow, as expected of Mika, you're a hard worker.
But unlike other movies I've seen before, it didn't make me feel like drinking wine...
The wine film we would like to introduce this time is "The Secret of the World's Most Beautiful Bordeaux," a documentary mainly based on interviews that explores the relationship between Bordeaux wine and China's economic growth in the 2000s.
Source: Amazon
Mika was a little low key probably because the film focused on the commercial side of wine.
In particular, Bordeaux in France is a famous wine producing region and also a mecca for the wine business.
In the movie "See you in Burgundy," which I introduced previously, there is a scene where a man who has been making wine in the countryside of Burgundy for many years turns away an urbane businessman who has come from Bordeaux to do a business deal, calling him a "smug guy in a suit" and saying, "There are no winemakers in Bordeaux."
For producers in Burgundy who live simple lives and make the most careful wines, Bordeaux may have a negative image of "making wine for commercial purposes."
Of course, not all Bordeaux producers think of wine as just a business tool.
However, there is no doubt that Bordeaux is a city that prospered through the wine trade. This trade is greatly influenced by world situations and economic trends.
And in recent years, China has had the greatest influence on the wine trade .
"The Secret of the World's Most Beautiful Bordeaux" is a film that focuses on the business side of wine. It is a documentary that makes you think about what the value of wine is.
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- Mika is 35 years old and works at an apparel company. She is getting into wine and is really interested in wine glasses.
- Iwasu is a sommelier who oversees this website. He runs a bar in Nagoya that stocks a wide range of New Zealand wines.
Detailed information on "The Secret of the World's Most Beautiful Bordeaux"
*This trailer video does not have subtitles, but the main feature (Japanese version) has Japanese subtitles.
| Movie genre | documentary |
| theme | Changes in Bordeaux's wine industry in the 2000s, The relationship between China's economic growth and Bordeaux wine |
| Original title | Red Obsession |
| Production year/country | 2013/Australia, China, France, UK, Hong Kong |
| time | 78 minutes |
| director | David Roach, Warwick Ross |
| Narration | Russell Crowe |
The narrator, Russell Crowe, is a famous actor who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for "Gladiator" (released in 2000). His dandy, calm voice is very nice.
The original title, "Red Obsession," literally translates to "red obsession," a fitting title for a film that depicts the Chinese people's strong obsession with fine Bordeaux wine .
Celebrities who appear in "The Secret of the World's Most Beautiful Bordeaux"
This work is mainly composed of interviews with famous people from various fields, including some very famous people who are well known to movie and wine fans.Francis Ford Coppola (film director)
A well-known figure in the film industry. His most famous works include "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now." He is also a wine lover who owns his own winery in California.Robert Parker (wine critic)
It is famous for the "Parker Points" used by Wine Advocate magazine to evaluate wines. The maximum score is 100 points, and the score is considered so important that it has a large impact on the price of the wine.Stephen Spurrier (Wine Critic)
He was the mastermind behind the "Paris Tasting Incident" that left its mark in wine history, and the founder of the wine school "Academie du Vin."
For more information about the film "Bottle Dreams: The Miracle of California Wine," based on the Paris Tasting Incident, please see the link below.
▶Reviews and synopsis of " Bottle Dream: The Miracle of California Wine," an event that changed the history of wine
What you'll learn from watching "The Secret of the World's Most Beautiful Bordeaux"
If I were to write everything down it would take away some of the enjoyment from watching the movie, so I've just put together a quick summary of what you'll notice when you watch it.
Opinion of a famous Bordeaux wine merchant
The book is packed with interviews that convey the passion for wine of the managers of Bordeaux's top chateaux, including Chateau Haut-Brion and Chateau Margaux, known as the "Five Great Chateaus."
The video also shows Bordeaux's beautiful vineyards and historic chateau buildings, sure to tickle the hearts of wine fans who want to visit the region at least once.
Bordeaux wines from around the world
Many of the famous Bordeaux wines are bought by wealthy people and investors from around the world.
Until the early 2000s, it was mainly the United States, and then it moved to China, which experienced rapid economic growth.
They buy wine in bulk and store it as an investment because, like art, it can become profitable if it appreciates in value.
The film also features interviews with investors who actually store large amounts of luxury wine, as well as intermediaries who sell wine to investors.
The relationship between China's economic growth and Bordeaux wine
In China, wine from Chateau Lafite, one of the five great chateaux, was treated as a status symbol that demonstrated one's status to others.
Although China did not originally have a wine drinking culture, wine consumption has been increasing steadily along with economic growth. However, only a few people have a proper understanding of the taste, quality and terroir of wine.
People who have learned that "people in power and celebrities like Lafite" have begun to follow suit, buying up bottles for their collections or displaying empty bottles around their homes.
They are not particularly interested in the traditions of the winery or the intrinsic value of the wine itself.
It was shocking to hear a wine auction enthusiast say in an interview , "I just want to get it. I don't know if I'll drink it or not."
As a wine lover, this is a comment that leaves me with mixed emotions.
Furthermore, there are also some negative effects of the spotlight on China. This is the inside story of the Chinese wine industry .
This gives us a glimpse into the reality that when dealing with a major power, problems arise that producers cannot do anything about.
China's expanding wine industry
China's domestic wine industry is also expanding.
It seems that people who learned wine-making techniques abroad, such as in Bordeaux, are now heading wineries in China after returning to their home countries. This film also gives you a glimpse into the thoughts of these producers.
I'm now interested in trying Chinese wine! If it's made by someone who learned how to make it in China, it must be delicious.
summary
I thought I had learned a lot about wine, but it was a world I knew nothing about, so I was constantly surprised.
The content was something like "The Secret of the World's Most Beautiful Bordeaux" rather than "The Secret of Bordeaux Wine and China."
This film is a documentary that teaches us about the relationship between wine and the economy. I think many people will be surprised to learn that there is an unexpected side to wine.
This site is useful for finding out which video streaming services offer the movie "The World's Most Beautiful Secret of Bordeaux."
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