On the Big Screen
No two movies have done more to promote the California wine industry than “Sideways” (2004) and “Bottle Shock” (2008). Both lms signi cantly increased wine awareness for California as well as increasing sales – de nitely two lms to see while grabbing your favorite “vino” and getting a tour of wine country.
“Sideways” made a star out of Santa Barbara Wine County and drummed up demand for pinot noir around the world. After the lm’s release in October 2004, merlot sales dropped 2 percent and pinot noir increased 16 percent in the western United States. A surprise hit, “Sideways” won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay as it depicted the ups, the downs and “sideways” journeys of life for Miles (Paul Giamatti), who is distressed about his lack of success as a novelist, and Jack (Thomas Haden Church), an equally unsuccessful actor with a rapidly approaching wedding. The unlikely pair share a blend of failed potential and fading youth and a nose for drowning in wine and women (Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen).
Pinot noir was de nitely the darling grape showcased – other favorites shown being poured included Whitcraft, Santa Maria Valley; Sea Smoke, Botella; and Kistler, Sonoma Coast.
Visitors to the Santa Barbara wine region can follow Jack’s and Miles’ footsteps to the wineries visited in the lm that include: Andrew Murray, Fess Parker, Foxen, Fiddlesix and Kalyra Vineyards. Although all of these pinots are noteworthy and should be sought, one of our favorites is Sea Smoke winery.
From the release of the 2001 vintage, the winery’s rst effort was a near instant success. Located in the Santa Rita Hills appellation of Santa Barbara County, Sea Smoke, is one of a handful of California pinot noir producers whose fruitpowered style has quickly captured the attention of “pinotphiles.”
Named after the fog that oods its way from the ocean up the River Valley making it possible to grow pinot noir that far south in California, Sea Smoke wines are sold almost exclusively through distributors and to mailing list customers; thus, the wines have joined the ranks of the “hard to get your hands on them” pinots like Marcassin, Rochioli, and Sine Qua Non. There are three estate bottling representing a blend of different blocks of the estate vineyard: Southing, Botella and Ten. Do look for this wine. We both have bought bottles at Wine Country, but they are far and few.
“Bottle Shock” on the other hand, is lighthearted with a bit of romance and tells the (true) story of how California wines literally took the world by surprise in the 1976 Paris (Blind) Wine Tasting. Robert Mondavi was perhaps the rst one who truly believed that California wineries could produce worldclass wines, and he was certainly right.
“Bottle Shock” spotlights the Barrett Family vineyards of Chateau Montelena, and the story takes the viewer into the early 1970s and a struggling winery. The term “bottle shock” refers to a short-term but de nitely strong effect wine can have after the wine is bottled or is shipped. It can have disjointed or muted fruit avors. That is the main reason one should never open a bottle of wine received in a shipment for several days. Time gives the wine a chance to “settle” back down.
The focal point behind “Bottle Shock” the movie is on their chardonnay becoming dark and having an unpleasant taste (bottle shock), giving the struggling Barrett patriarch a false perception that his wines were ruined.
Steve Spurrier was a Brit living in Paris who owned a small wine shop and wine school, L’Academie du Vin, in the heart of Paris. Spurrier believed California wines could at least compete on the world level, and it was he who had the idea of the rst tasting in Paris to include California wines. He made a trip to California Wine Country and searched for what he deemed were competitive worthy cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay wines.
Up until that time in 1976, France was somewhat of the world “wine snob” and had always been considered superior to any other part of the world in wine making and to have American wines compete with world-class French wines (according to the French) was simply laughable.
Well, America rocked the wine world that day in 1976, by taking rst place in both the bordeaux and burgundy categories with the 1973 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellar’s Cabernet Sauvignon and the 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. Not only did this shock France, but it shocked the world. It is undoubtedly the reason why today there are countless amazing wines from all over the planet.
Jim Barrett, patriarch of this wine family, passed away in March of this year. Bo Barrett, portrayed in “Bottle Shock” as the young son who represented the family in Paris, is still making wonderful wines at Chateau Montelena and is married to one of true royalty in the wine industry, Heidi Barrett. Their own label is Barrett and Barrett Wines and Heidi’s is La Sirena. She has gained well-deserved fame by making such cult wines as Screaming Eagle, Paradigm, Dalla Valle, Grace Family and Diamond Creek Vineyards. Yes, there truly is … sometimes a very happy ending.
Roxanne Bosserman has called Shreveport home since 1977 when she began a career with IBM. Although not a Louisiana native, her love for food, friends and wine has made the Bayou State her “perfect home.” Carol Gekakis is a Shreveport native and lives — for the most part — in Perdido Key, Fla. Both women have served as president of the Southern Trace Wine Club.
