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Bottle Shock Smash Hit Sound Track

No, they didn't come out with a sound track CD from the movie Bottle Shock, but if they had, the line up would have gone a little something like this:

Un Bel di Verdremo - Maria Callas and The Philharmonia Orchestra
Toulouse Street - Patrick Simmons
Toulouse Street - Doobie Brothers
Stand Back - Allman Brothers Band
Spirit - Doobie Brothers
Rock Steady - Bad Company
Listen to the Music - Doobie Brothers
Le Temps Des Cerises - Scottie Haskell
Jump into the Fire - Harry Nilsson
I Need You - America
Drivin' Wheel - Foghat
Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-Dee - Stick McGhee
China Grove - Doobie Brothers

Nice mix for that drive up valley. I don't know why more people aren't talking about the sound track, some original. I really enjoyed everything about this movie which came to the downtown Napa theatre last Friday. I laughed out loud (the samurai sword scene) and cried (the scene where the winery owner found all his wine BROWN) and would highly recommend going to see it while it's here.

Bottle Shock - The Movie

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 at:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117969693.html

Hot Air Balloon Season

Just when I was getting a good grip on double latte, I looked outside and saw that the hot air balloons are flying again. Silent bubbles of hot air floating across the blue blue sky. I'm not sure what hot air balloons have to do with wine, but they both seem to flourish in Napa Valley.

Comment on my Wine Blog

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Thank you for your support! I'm thinking this blog will age well, like a fine wine.

Way Inside Napa Valley Wine

Last night we tried a 2005 Perata Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon "Frank's" version. It was what good wine is all about, smooth red velvet, proper tanins and Rutheford dusty/oaky aftertaste. Perata Vineyards is in Yountville near Ghost Block Vineyard and right next to Beringer-Gamble Vineyard. This is a single-source wine made by Gary Galleron. Read more about this Napa Valley winemaker here: ABOUT GARY

Napa Valley wine can be so different from vineyard to vineyard with microclimates as small as a few acres. At Perata vineyard, you can tell that they love their vines. They are meticuliously taken care of, it's a beautiful thing to see. This time of year, the little baby buds are breaking out of the vines for Spring.

SHOTGUN! Shoot It For Me Right Now

"Since last fall, more than 50 cases of Gauge Wines have been sold by JV
Beverage Warehouse in Napa, where it’s regarded as one of the fastest-moving
wines in stock. The camouflage-patterned boxes have attracted attention, as a
few patrons have taken the boxes even though they did not purchase all the wine
inside, leaving a few bottles behind on the floor. Gauge retails for $11.99 a
bottle. Locally, diners can find Gauge Wines on lists at Cindy Pawlcyn’s two
restaurants, Mustards Grill and Go Fish." - From the Register

"I'll take one of each." - From Sandra Lee

Targeting the huntsman demographic is a new wine brand “created by two hunters (John Putnam, left, and Bjorn Larson, right) and a salesman (Trent Moffett).” The current 1,500 case production is being sold in test markets in California, Texas, Louisiana and South Carolina. Lianne Milton/Register

I've met Bjorn and I think he is one of the most wonderful human beings in the whole world. Behind that macho manly exterior there is a true heart of gold. For more information, visit their website: Gauge Wines