Bottle Shock (2008)

I've never had a movie make me want to own an old beat-up pickup truck before. Although I guess it's not really the pickup truck itself. It's the whole atmosphere of this movie: the California sunshine, the vast fields of grape vine, and of course the wine.

Bottle Shock is based on the real-life 1976 competition to see which wines were better - the classics of France or the up and coming Napa Valley, CA.

It's not the most fantastic movie and there's not really any suspense despite the competition but it's a sweet little film. The poster makes it look like it's going to be a little quirky. It's not. The characters aren't weird. They're just in bellbottoms and messy haircuts - Chris Pine being the worst offender.

Seriously though, they present as pepole who are really devoted to making wine and it's that devotion that makes them somewhat lovable. It adds to the idyllic quality wafting off the screen too. And best of all, they don't lull you to sleep like Sideways.

Rating: 3/5
Recommended for:If you've never been to Napa and really want to go.