The film, “Bottle Shock”, which is loosely developed from the event that forever changed the wine industry, The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, is set for release on DVD from Twentieth Century Fox on February third. Bottle Shock is set in the wine country of northern California around Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley, where local wineries were invited to participate in an international wine competition against the best in the world in a blind tasting in Paris.
The competition was launched by a British born wine merchant in Paris after he toured the northern California wine country of Napa County and Sonoma County and found the wines from the local wineries to offer world class wine. Two northern California vintners took him up on the invitation and they each won a top prize, one for white and one for red wine.
Highlighted in the film is the triumph of Jim Barrett, the owner of the Napa Valley vineyard, Chateau Montelena, who’s 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay brought him first prize for white wine, and brought the whole wine country region instant recognition, making not only California winesrelevant, but the event served to dethrone France and show that great wines could come from the world over. The vintner responsible for the 1973 Chardonnay that forever altered the wine landscape was Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, who immediately after winning the prize established his own vineyard, Grgich Hills Cellar. Now eighty-five years old, Mike Grgich is still making great wine at Grgich Hills Cellar and in honor of his many contributions to the wine industry, was recently inducted into The Vintner Hall of Fame.
The film was directed, produced and co-written by Randall Miller and stars Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman. The Bottle Shock DVD also contains behind-the-scenes footage, a profile of Chateau Montelena winery, interviews with the crew and cast, as well as scenes not featured in the nationally released film.
