Bottle Shock
By Marshall Fine
Rating:
Who's in it: Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine
What's it about: In 1976, a Paris wine dealer arranges a taste test between French wines and upstart vintages from California - with surprising results.
Good grapes: Based on a true story, this mild, slow-moving comedy divides its attention between Paris and Napa Valley. In Paris, a British wine merchant (Rickman) can't crack the snobby French wine world. In California, a struggling vineyard may not be able to survive long enough to convince people that California can produce quality wine. When their paths cross, the world moves - or, at least, the wine world. This movie wanders off the path on too many unnecessary side trips, building distracting conflicts (like the romantic competition between Pine and buddy Freddy Rodriguez for Rachael Taylor). By the time it finally gets to the big vino showdown, you'll wish you could uncork a bottle yourself to make the movie go down easier.
Long story short: An amusing little wine movie - but not amusing enough.
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