Review and summary of "Bottle Dream: The Miracle of California Wine," the event that changed the history of wine

The wine movie I'd like to introduce this time is "Bottle Dream: The Miracle of California Wine."

Source: Amazon

"Bottle Dreams: The Miracle of California Wine" is an American film based on the "Judgment of Paris" incident , a legendary event in the wine industry.

In the past, when European wine was the only thing that came to mind when talking about wine, a revolution occurred when "California wine," which was relatively unknown around the world at the time, won a wine competition.

The story is based on a true incident that took place in the wine industry.

The story is a refreshing success story that can be enjoyed purely by those who are not knowledgeable about wine, as it depicts the conflict and bond between the Barrett family, as well as the friendship and slight romantic elements surrounding their son, Beau.

"Bottle Dream: The Miracle of California Wine" Detailed Information

Although it is an indie film, it became a hit thanks to the success of steady PR activities in wine bars etc. In Japan, it was only released on DVD, not in theaters, but is well-known among wine lovers.

Movie genre	Human drama
theme	Wine making, parent-child love, friendship, romance
Original title	Bottle Shock
Production year/country	2008/USA
time	109 minutes
Director/Screenplay	Randall Miller
Cast	Alan Rickman (Harry Potter series, Die Hard) Chris Pine (Star Trek series) Bill Pullman (Independence Day, While You Were Sleeping)

Story summary

In 1976, Stephen Spurrier , a British wine critic working in Paris, was struggling with the business of his own wine shop. He heard that good wine was being made in California, so he planned an event to compare California and French wines . He thought that it would be a good opportunity to promote his shop and generate buzz, as America was celebrating its 200th anniversary of independence.

However, since American wine was hardly distributed in Europe at the time, Spurrier decided to go and inspect the area himself. His destination was Napa Valley , California, where he met the people at the winery "Chateau Montelena."

Montelena was founded by Jim Barrett , a former lawyer who had quit his job and was struggling to create the perfect Chardonnay.

His son, Beau , who took a year off from college to help out at the winery, is a spoiled brat who is immersed in hippie culture and spends his time having fun. When the winery is on the verge of bankruptcy, he tries to get motivated, but things don't go as planned.

Meanwhile, Spurrier was impressed by the excellence of California wines he had tasted for the first time, and asked Montelena to enter their wines in a wine-tasting event, but Jim, who was skeptical of the French wine world, refused.

Bo believes that if he can get good reviews at this event, he can save the winery from its predicament, so he takes drastic measures...

My thoughts on "Bottle Dream: The Miracle of California Wine"

California Vineyards

I think there are three highlights of this movie.

The first is footage of the vast vineyards of California.

The opening scene features aerial shots that let you enjoy the beautiful scenery. The dazzling sun and the dry earth that kicks up a lot of dust when a car passes by. You'll get a real sense of what it's like to grow grapes in a place like this.

The second is the relationships surrounding my son, Beau .

By focusing on Beau, the film has strong elements of a coming-of-age film, including the conflict in his father-son relationship with Jim, the owner of Chateau Montelena, his friendship with employee Gustavo, and his romantic relationship with Sam, an intern at the winery.

Gustavo in particular plays a role that reflects the times. His father is a Mexican immigrant who came to America as an agricultural laborer, but in an age where discrimination such as white supremacy is still rampant, he takes pride in his work as a winemaker. He looks so cool as he talks about his passion for wine, and it warms my heart. Influenced by him, Bo, who used to hang out, gradually changes.

The third is Spurrier, a British wine critic .

Although he is a real person, he is probably heavily dramatized and there are many comical scenes. In any case, his character is strong and memorable.

Despite running a wine shop in Paris and being the founder of the wine school "Academie du Vin," he was treated like an outsider in the local wine world, and when he traveled alone to the United States, his car suddenly got a flat tire.

Scenes such as when she timidly takes a bite of fried chicken at a certain fast food restaurant for the first time, and when she sees guacamole (avocado dip) served at a winery and is wary, wondering "Is this even food?", but then takes a bite and smiles as if to say "It's actually quite good," are very charming.

Although Spurrier was a cranky wine geek, he was also a man with a relatively open mind for his time, in that he did not stick only to French and European wines, but was open to any wine that was delicious.

The great actor Alan Rickman skillfully plays this charming character, who is a typical arrogant British man, but whose slightly off-kilter personality makes him seem endearing.

Of course, the axis of this movie is the real event , "Paris Tasting Incident (Paris Trial)," but the drama leading up to it is mainly depicted. Therefore, I think you can enjoy it even if you have no knowledge of wine at all.

What was the real "Paris Tasting Incident"?

The Paris Tasting was a wine competition held in France in 1976 as part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of American independence.

The event involved a blind tasting in which wines from famous French chateaux and California wines carefully selected by the organizer, Stephen Spurrier, were ranked and evaluated.

The judges were all French and all were very authoritative figures in the wine industry. Several members of the press were invited but were ignored. The only reporter who witnessed the event was George Taber, a reporter for the American magazine TIME who was based in Paris and had a connection with Spurrier.

At the time, it was common knowledge that French wine was the best and that California wine was naturally inferior, so there didn't seem to be much attention paid to the event beforehand.

However, the result was that California wines took first place in both red and white wines , overturning previous wine history.

The record of this incident that journalist George contributed to TIME magazine was a small article, but its shocking contents gradually spread around the world. Since the title of the article was "The Judgement of Paris," this incident is sometimes called that.

Since then, California wine has gained explosive popularity, which led to the countries now known as the New World attracting attention as wine producing regions.

The organizer, Spurrier, also became famous overnight, and the wine school he founded , the Academie du Vin, has spread throughout the world and continues to contribute to the development of the wine industry today.

About California Wine

Since the "Paris Wine Tasting Incident," California wine has been attracting attention from all over the world, and Napa Valley , where Chateau Montelena is located, is known as a famous wine-producing region. Napa is a region located in the northern part of the San Francisco Bay Area.

The region is home to numerous wineries, from large establishments such as Robert Mondavi to smaller boutique wineries.

Napa Valley produces many wines with rich, powerful flavors, thanks to the abundant sunlight and the large temperature difference between day and night, which allows the grapes to grow ripe.

Red varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, while white varieties include Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, with many other varieties also being planted.

Chateau Montelena, which appeared in the film, is still an existing winery, and is now run by his son, Beau Barrett. He has a bright personality and has been actively holding seminars in Japan.

Montelena, and of course Napa Valley, will continue to produce wonderful wines around the world.

summary

"Bottle Dream: The Miracle of California Wine" is a story based on actual events that occurred in the wine industry, but it is a success story that even people who don't know anything about wine can enjoy. Why not use this movie as an opportunity to try California wine?

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