A Movie about the 1976 Paris Tasting Begins Filming
The 1976 Blind Taste Test was arguably the most important tasting in the history of California Wine. Up to that point, California was looked at as an inferior region to most European countries. After the results were tallied, California emerged out of the shadows of the European giants and began its life as a player in the international wine game.
Over the years, many books have documented this “vinous shot heard round the world.” These books have paved the way for a movie about this epic event. But it may have taken the overwhelming success of Sideways to full convince the Hollywood community that there was room for a successful movie about wine.
Enter Bottle Shock. Bottle Shock tells the story of the 1976 Blind Tasting in Paris from Chateau Montelena’s perspective. Chateau Montelena won the white wine category, beating several top Burgundies in the process. And as most of you know, Stags Leap Wine Cellars won the red category. Another movie called The Judgment of Paris will be about the red wine portion of the 1976 Blind Tasting.
Bill Pullman will play Chateau Montelena’s owner Jim Barrett, Chris Pine will play Jim’s son Bo Barrett, and Alan Rickman will star as Steven Spurrier, the man who set up the tasting. The movie also features many local extras. The crew is filming at several locations in Carneros, Sonoma and Napa including Buena Vista Winery and Kunde.
The movie began shooting on July 30th and will continue through September 6th. Many in the industry are looking forward to the movie, any positive attention for the California Wine Industry is welcomed. This has the potential of reaching a broad audience, and if it has the effect of Sideways, this will be great for California Wine.
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