Late to the party on this I’m sure, but just watched this on Netflix last night.
Question: I happen to be a big Bradley Whitford fan and I was wondering if the “Professor” he played in the movie was supposed to be a real person? When they went to see him with the “brown” Chardonnay, who was he supposed to be?
Movie was ok. A bit too long and Montelena centric, but still rather pleasant.
I do enjoy that movie, but it also irked me that they filmed most of it in Sonoma, and really changed a lot of the story 
The real story is a fascinating read: go grab ‘The Judgement of Paris’ by George Taber if you haven’t read it…You’ll see just how much of the movie was fiction. Mike Grgich was actually the winemaker of the '73 Montelena Chard, he just wanted nothing to do with the movie, so they took him out. Gustavo didn’t start at Montelena in '76 until after the JoP events.
No answer to Whitfords character…just a plot device? Grgich disputes that the bottle shocked brown chard ever happened ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
The only redeeming quality of this movie is the sweeping views of wine country. Otherwise the screenwriters unfortunately took a truly interesting and inspiring group of stories, and replaced them with a barely related work of fiction.
Sorry I can’t answer your question about the professor, but maybe someone here familiar with 1970’s UC Davis has an idea. According to Mike Grgich (who made the chard, but for some reason doesn’t have a role in the movie) the brown wine thing never happened.
Definitely read The Judgement of Paris to get the real story. For me the stories of the various and difficult paths these immigrants took to get into Napa Valley made for great reading. They would probably make for a great movie too. 
FYI Robert Kamen (from Kamen Cabernet, and the writer of several well known movies, from Karate Kid to Taken) is going to be doing another version of the Taber story, that is supposed to be closer to the book. Should be interesting!
when is the 2nd one coming out? i hear it’s being made/made?
Not sure on release date, but this article from June says filming begins in September…
I hope I don’t come off as annoying “the book is better than the movie” guy (is there anything more tedious than having people tell you that so they can brag about having read a book?), but I absolutely love that book, and any wine lover who hasn’t read it should go get it ASAP.
George Taber is such as sweet and thoughtful man, and it really shines through the whole book. If there anyone who has avoided it thinking it to be a “USA USA” kind of us against France polemic, it really isn’t that at all. In fact, the tasting and related story is only a small part of the book, but it just serves as the focal point for a broader discussion of how world-class wine took root all around the new world.
I’d imagine. Because the movie made Taber seem like some sort of hack.
It was indeed filmed almost completely in Sonoma County, other than the actual Montelena scenes.
The “French” restaurant and the “French” Wine Shop were Della Santina’s (and their next door Enoteca) near the Sonoma Square.
The tasting itself was at Kunde, as was the boxing ring, all of which are still there.
Not sure about the bar scenes.
Also there is a scene where the cellar workers are ogling the wet female intern who is cleaning a press, and there is a beret wearing person I presume to be portraying Grgich.
I remember Jim Barrett saying some thing akin to this before he passed - Their is a Jim Barrett and their is a Bo Barrett, the rest is fictionalized.
it’s a movie… it contains some fiction… shocking
Well, I know the movie Bottle Shock isn’t factual but I love it. Actually makes me tear up a bit. I love Oliver Stone’s JFK as well, and am pretty sure it isn’t factual either.
Adam Lee
Siduri Wines
I loved Independence Day! i think part of that is factual. the part about aliens maybe
Love the music in the film
I just liked the blonde girl, and the wine part…or the blonde girl…ok just he blonde girl.
I found the movie quite amusing.
Yes, Rachael Taylor is smokin’ hot.
Alan Rickman’s performance is also very amusing. Indeed, I find that he always makes a movie entertaining, no matter how bad or otherwise dumb the movie is.
Similarly, I love Denis Farina, and someday hope to routinely wear suits similar to the ones he wore in this movie (my ears are still ringing).
Finally, Chris Pine’s cheesy wig could carry at least two mild entertainment type movies on its own.
I dislike that movie intensely. To be generous, it was a millimeter deep and it portrayed nearly every character as slow-witted, a slut, or both. Rickman managed to rise above the material, but he was rising from a rather low elevation.
-Al
+100
don’t forget the brunette ![[whistle.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/87d24eb81ec6dc01d84f3d6c19fa9a357e90218e.gif "whistle"){kind=small}
the bar scene with the blind tasting bet was filmed at the Jack London Lodge in Glen Ellen. we usually have a few beers there for MNF and Giant games.