There are certain moments in history when
America has proven itself to the world: Neil Armstrong
setting foot on the Moon; or the US Men's Hockey team
beating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. One such
moment, however, never got the recognition it deserved: In
1976, a small American winery bested the exalted French
wines of the time and sent the wine industry into a tizzy -
putting California wines on the map for good.
Based on a true story, Bottle Shock chronicles the events
leading up to the famous 'Judgment of Paris' tastings, told
through the lives of father and son, Jim and Bo Barrett. A
former real estate attorney, Jim (Bill Pullman) sacrificed
everything to realize his dream of creating the perfect
hand-crafted chardonnay. His business, however, is
struggling, and he's not only trying to overcome differences
with his slacker son (Chris Pine), but is also fighting off
the creditors.
Meanwhile in Paris, unwitting British wine shop owner Steven
Spurrier (Alan Rickman) hopes to revive his own failing
business by sponsoring a competition which will pit the
traditional French powerhouse against the California
upstarts. Little did Steven and Jim realize that they were
both on course to change the history of wine forever.
There are certain moments in history when
America has proven itself to the world: Neil Armstrong
setting foot on the Moon; or the US Men's Hockey team
beating the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympics. One such
moment, however, never got the recognition it deserved: In
1976, a small American winery bested the exalted French
wines of the time and sent the wine industry into a tizzy -
putting California wines on the map for good.