Bottle Shock Opens August 6

A wine movie, you say? Why, yes. Apparently someone in Hollywood actually thought the 1976 Judgement of Paris was just as exciting and intrigue-filled as we wine geeks did! (What's next? Will Ruhlman sell the rights to his bird's eye view of the CMC exam? "Oh, no! I can hardly wait to see if he passes his Asian practical!")

Experts are saying Bottle Shock, opening August 6, will be one of the biggest hits of the fall -- and a bigger wine movie than Sideways. (Certainly bigger than Mondavino. As one friend of mine says "Watch it with a pot of coffee.") Filmed almost entirely in Napa and Sonoma, Alan Rickman plays Steven Spurrier on his now-legendary trip to Napa to recruit winemakers for the French/US competition.

Rumor has it a second movie on the famous tasting is also in the works, this one more closely blessed by Spurrier, called The Judgement of Paris. However, Bottle Shock, capturing the vibe of the 70s in Northern California (if you know what I mean), looks much more fun.