Bottle Shock
Has anyone seen the movie, Bottle Shock?
It is a cute little movie about the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, nicknamed the "Judgement of Paris," where a blind tasting was held in France with wines from France and California. Before that time, it was a well-held belief (especially by the French) that the only good wines came from France because of its terroir, the combination of microclimate and soil. Steven Spurrier, an Englishman who owned a wine shop in Paris, was able to line up some of France's most respected wine authorities to judge the Paris tasting. To all of the judges' surprise (and France's), the California wines came out on top. A 1973 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena in Napa won the prize in the white wine category, while a 1973 Cabernet from Stag's Leap in Napa was judged the best of the red wines. Because of their contribution to wine culture in the
United States, both wines are enshrined in the Smithsonian. The contest put Napa on the map, and its popularity has grown exponentially since then.
I am still not sure exactly what "bottle shock" means. It is defined as a reaction that occurs in wine immediately after corking resulting from oxygen being absorbed during the bottling process. It is characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors in the wine. It is said to be only a temporary condition. It is portrayed in the movie in a dramatic scene in which the owner of Chateau Montelena throws out the entire 1973 vintage of Chardonnay because it turned brown. However, in true Hollywood style, the vintage is saved and the wine turns back to its regular color and flavor before the famous tasting.
Ironically, the winemaker who crafted the winning Chardonnay is not portrayed in the film. It is rumored that he did not like the script and/or would not cooperate with the producers. His name is Mike Grgich, a Croatian immigrant who now runs his own successful winery, Grgich Hills. We have visited his winery and the wine is quite good, although really pricey!
We recently visited Chateau Montelena, which is a stunning winery that was established in 1882.
We got to see a bottle of the famous, winning wine.
We did not taste any wine, however, because the tasting room was too crowded for Tom. He likes to have the place to himself! So we headed down the hill and stopped at another couple of wineries, Summers and Envy, that were very good, yet not as crowded.
As on most of our trips to wine country, we saw some charming scenery
and some interesting wildlife.
It never gets old!
It is a cute little movie about the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, nicknamed the "Judgement of Paris," where a blind tasting was held in France with wines from France and California. Before that time, it was a well-held belief (especially by the French) that the only good wines came from France because of its terroir, the combination of microclimate and soil. Steven Spurrier, an Englishman who owned a wine shop in Paris, was able to line up some of France's most respected wine authorities to judge the Paris tasting. To all of the judges' surprise (and France's), the California wines came out on top. A 1973 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena in Napa won the prize in the white wine category, while a 1973 Cabernet from Stag's Leap in Napa was judged the best of the red wines. Because of their contribution to wine culture in the
United States, both wines are enshrined in the Smithsonian. The contest put Napa on the map, and its popularity has grown exponentially since then.
I am still not sure exactly what "bottle shock" means. It is defined as a reaction that occurs in wine immediately after corking resulting from oxygen being absorbed during the bottling process. It is characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors in the wine. It is said to be only a temporary condition. It is portrayed in the movie in a dramatic scene in which the owner of Chateau Montelena throws out the entire 1973 vintage of Chardonnay because it turned brown. However, in true Hollywood style, the vintage is saved and the wine turns back to its regular color and flavor before the famous tasting.
Ironically, the winemaker who crafted the winning Chardonnay is not portrayed in the film. It is rumored that he did not like the script and/or would not cooperate with the producers. His name is Mike Grgich, a Croatian immigrant who now runs his own successful winery, Grgich Hills. We have visited his winery and the wine is quite good, although really pricey!
We recently visited Chateau Montelena, which is a stunning winery that was established in 1882.
We got to see a bottle of the famous, winning wine.
We did not taste any wine, however, because the tasting room was too crowded for Tom. He likes to have the place to himself! So we headed down the hill and stopped at another couple of wineries, Summers and Envy, that were very good, yet not as crowded.
As on most of our trips to wine country, we saw some charming scenery
and some interesting wildlife.
It never gets old!
What happened to the pictures??
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