Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

I saw the movie "Bottle Shock" (a sweet, little, low-key comedy about California wines suddenly gaining respect in 1976, at the now famous "Judgment of Paris" blind taste-test) yesterday afternoon, and thoroughly enjoyed it -- even though my idea of a 'good' bottle of wine is a dry red or white for as much under $10 as possible.

Besides Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman in major roles (Pullman as the somewhat surly refugee from corporate life who's staked everything on his attempt to create the perfect Chardonnay in Napa Valley, and Rickman as Stephen Spurrier, the British wine connoisseur and merchant attempting to 'break in' to the upper crust of French wine experts by hosting a blind taste test of French and American wines during the U.S. bicentennial), there was some rather engaging comic leavening from Dennis Farina as Stephen Spurrier/Alan Rickman's Milwaukeean-in-Paris business neighbor and cheering section

In addition, there were lots of familiar faces from television in minor and not-so-minor supporting roles, including Freddie Rodriguez (Betty's other suitor Gio, from "Ugly Betty") as the young Mexican-American vintner Gustavo Brambila (whom I found much more sympathetic and interesting than his privileged Anglo hippy friend Bo Barrett), Eliza Dushku (from BtVS, "Tru Calling" and Joss Whedon's next project, "The Dollhouse") as 'Joe' the tough-but-kindly bartender and sometime deus-ex-machina, and "Josh Lyman" from "The West Wing" in what amounted to a cameo as the UC Davis wine expert.

I vaguely remember hearing someone years ago on NPR's "The Splendid Table" talking about the 1976 "Judgment of Paris" and about someone having to give every person on the flight from California to Paris a bottle to carry on (I suspect it was someone who'd written a book on the 1976 blind tasting and its lasting repercussions), but otherwise, I was completely unspoiled for this movie. In fact, I'm surprised that I hadn't heard any reviews of this film at all, but I'm glad I took a chance on going to see it 'cold'.

By the way, I doubt that any actor other than Alan Rickman could make the experience of eating a piece of the Colonel's "Extra Crispy" chicken or tasting his first guacamole (as well as his first, surprisingly good California wines) so interesting to watch!

A very well-cast and well-acted movie, all in all, even for those of us who know nothing more about wine than that it's made from grapes.