Monday, May 19, 2008

Focus on Summer Wine & Bottle Shock Gossip

Why don't we just all get along and watch BOTH movies and then pass judgement? As far as Bottle Shock - The Movie goes, I think it's a wonderful story and most interesting to most of us here in Napa Valley.
We especially love Freddy Rodriquez' character, Gustavo Brambila because we drink his wine. My favorite? The wildly fragrant and crispy green 2006 Sauvignon Blanc [just released]. Maybe because it's hard-core summertime now here in the Valley, this wine was most appealling with our seafood bar-b-que [BBQ!].

"Once again, this wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel to retain the crisp, clean tastes in the wine. The nose is wildly fragrant with aromas of fresh straw, kiwis and a hint of the tropics. It has an amazingly round mouthfeel for having been aged in stainless, a nod to Gustavo’s expertise in the cellar. There is a pronounced mineral/steel character to the finish on the wine."

Here's the article from Variety - Wine films pouring it on
'Shock' 'Paris' both tell same winetasting tale
By LEO BARRACLOUGH
It's one of the most famous moments in wine history, but with dueling pics in the works the venom already has been uncorked.
"Judgment of Paris," and "Bottle Shock" both center on the 1976 blind tasting at which French experts chose wines from the Napa Valley over those from France.
But Steven Spurrier, the wine expert behind the tasting who optioned his life rights to the producers of "Judgment of Paris," doesn't like the taste of "Bottle Shock."
Spurrier told Decanter magazine, where he's a consulting editor, "There is hardly a word that is true in the script and many, many pure inventions as far as I am concerned."
He also says the script depicts him as "an impossibly effete snob."
Of course, his reaction may also be soured by the fact that "Bottle Shock," in which he is played by Alan Rickman, has gotten the jump on "Judgment."
"Bottle" started shooting Aug. 1 in the Napa and Sonoma valleys under helmer Randall Miller, while the script for "Judgment," based on the tome by George M. Taber, is still being written by scribe and Sonoma vineyard owner Robert Mark Kamen.
Another bone of contention: The two pics deviate in how they portray Mike Grgich, a former winemaker at Chateau Montelena, and winery owner Jim Barrett. Both have claimed credit for the success of Montelena, with Grgich now running his own winery.
In "Bottle Shock" Grgich makes a fleeting appearance, whereas in Kamen's version, he is expected to play a more central role. In "Bottle Shock," it's Barrett, played by Bill Pullman who gets the spotlight.
Read the full article HERE

Thursday, May 1, 2008

It's Hot Air Balloon Season!

Facinating... as they float across the sky silently first thing in the morning. Ha! and me running out on my double latte in my pajamas to take pictures!

I don't know what hot air balloons have to do with wine, but they both seem to flourish in Napa Valley. There is the champagne brunch before the flight. Woosh