Enter the Bottle Shock Getaway Contest!

My parents are big wine people. I saw this movie on a flight from southern california back home to Chicago and immediately told my parents about it. The next day my Dad flew to India and Bottle Shock was the film on the flight. The instant he landed in Frankfort waiting for his connection, he went online and ordered movie and texted my Mom and I that it would be arriving at the house that week and not to watch it without him. Of course my Mom reads the back and cannot wait so she cracks open a good chardonnay and watches it without us. Later that night, I get a phone call from my overly excited Mom that this is the greatest movie she has ever seen since Miracle, the US Olympic Hockey movie. It was hard to get what she was saying at first because she was just chanting USA! USA! Since then, my parents have hosted a Bottle Shock party complete with Chateau Montelena and GustavoThrace wines and we are, now, in the process of planning my 21st birthday next year as a total Bottle Shock week in Napa - my plan! California wines RULE!

My roommate and I love wine! Unfortunately, being poor college students, we can't often afford to drink what we would like. Our most exciting wine adventure to date is wine tasting in New Zealand on our way back from studying abroad. This year, for my roommate's birthday I bought the most expensive bottle I could afford from the list of California wines at the Judgment of Paris and we sat down with Bottle Shock to enjoy it! A great time was had and it really made us appreciate how lucky we are to have such a great wine industry here in the US. We would love the opportunity to try some more lovely California wines and see the places where it all began!

My husband proposed to me at a winery 14 years ago - so on that date, we rented Bottle Shock, which we watched while sipping a couple of bottles of robust Napa Valley wine. Since then, we've purchased several copies of Bottle Shock - for us, for family and for friends. It's a perfect holiday gift! I now follow Bottle Shock and Chateau Montelena on Twitter, on Facebook, on Google - I'm totally addicted to the movie and the culture. We only get to Napa Valley every couple of years, so we would love to win a trip to see the location of the movie and meet some of the people who inspired it. Bottle Shock captured a great moment in time for the U.S. wine industry - thank you so much for recreating it! And thanks for being so active in digital media, so we can help with word-of-mouth marketing!We're so happy we could participate in our wee way. Cheers to you, Bottle Shock!

Has the winner been announced yet?

My husband and I had just returned from a week-long visit to Sonoma and Napa in early September. And we were nostalgic for a place that is not our home, yet we wished once more for the sight of vineyards sprinkling the valleys and mountains, the scent of the crush in the air, the wineries, big and small, and their stories, meeting people who are living their dream, or carrying on a family legacy, and of course, the amazing wines. We were missing it all.
I learned of “Bottle Shock” shortly after returning from our trip. We watched the movie besides a roaring fire while enjoying some of the wines we had brought back with us…..a 2005 Zinfandel from Hook & Ladder, and a 2006 Chardonnay from Milat Estate. “Bottle Shock” transported us right back to the wine country. We loved the movie, and did not want it to end. But it did, so we had to watch it again the following weekend! I have to say; just hearing the music score as the movie begins gives me goose-bumps.
We hope to return soon to this beautiful place, and at the top of our must-see wineries will be Chateau Montelena. Until that time, we will simply watch “Bottle Shock,” again……

I had know idea of the story of Chateau Montelena, until seeing the Movie Bottle Shock. I visited the winery in 2006 with my fiance James. We enjoyed the beautiful grounds, the ponds the buildings. We walked around for well over an hour. When we came home I made the photo I had taken of the building, my screen saver. I have enjoyed seeing it every day since. I would love for us to visit again.

I use to love wine but for the last 10 years, I barely drank it because I didn't like it anymore. After seeing the movie "Bottle shock", I got the urge to taste it again... and to my surprise, I liked it! So I bought my first bottle in 10 years! And I want to taste your wine so I am going to look for it!

We, my fiance, his son and I, were looking for a good movie to watch together after a day of house hunting in the wine region of Fallbrook. We had been musing on how fun it would be to operate a vineyard, and I was seriously contemplating the ability to do that. That's when we happened upon Bottle Shock on one of the pay perview channels. It couldn't have been a coincidence. As we watched I was moved to see my two guys truly enjoying the movie. We were all swept away with the genuine good feelings and simplicity of a real life heroic story. Bravo once again!

I'm a sucker for "True Life" movies, so Bottle Shock was exactly what I wanted when I checked the titles available at my local Library. After a hard, but unsuccessful day of looking for a job, I needed something to cheer me up, and I'd found that the Ames Free Library's no cost lending policy was exactly what my budget would allow.

Athough I do like wine, I'm not a connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, so the liquid's details that were part of the story were probably mostly lost on me. (Heck, I even have been know to drink the stuff that comes in a box and be quite happy, but don't tell anyone!) And, yes, the music and scenery, and of course the actors were exceptional, (just gotta love Alan Rickman; the man who makes a sneer so lovable!), but what made it so complelling for me was that after all the trials and tribulations that the Barretts had to go through (ok, some real, some imagined - but I didn't know that until I'd done a computer search after I'd been entraced by it, so there!), - it all worked so well!

Yep, give me a true life - or based on a true life - story with a happy ending any day! And f I were to see where it all happened, now that would be my story with a happy ending, for sure.......

N.B. I have since gotten a job. I wonder just how much "Bottle Shock -the movie" had in that occuring?!

My husband and I along with 8 of our very close friends from Milwaukee had a Napa/Sonoma Harvest "Bottle Shock" dinner last week. Everyone brought a well researched recipe from "wine country" to produce a great meal. We shared Gustavo-Thrace Chardonnay and Ilsley Seis Primas wines and dressed in 70's attire (the long blonde wig was passed around for those wishing to portray "Bo"). We watched the Bottle Shock Movie together...loved the scenery, music, wine and great company. Everyone left a bit bottle shocked:) What a great story!

just watched this great flick for the 2nd time only this time it was 1 day after returning from the greatest place in all the world...NAPA. I only wish I could of been there back then. If you like wine at all, watch the movie. if you are all interested in wine, watch the movie. If you want to feel alive go to napa,try great wine, and watch the movie

At first I thought the movie was slow and then I got intrigue and had to watch it to the end. Marvelous movie. I recommended it to my friends.

My husband and I just finished watching the movie and I went directly to my computer to check out the winery. We are always looking for the perfect Chardonney and the movie wet our appetites for trying this one. We have taken many wine tasting classes from one of Iowa's premier wine instructors who lives down the street from us so we'd love the adventure in Napa. We were in Santa Barabra County on our first wine trip this May when I turned 50! Thanks for the opportunity to visit another great wine maker!

I just finished watching Bottle Shock! I love it! I am from the area and love seeing the beauty that surrounds me. The story is very entertaining and the acting well done. I need a glass of wine now! And I need to visit Chateau Montelena.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!!!! Both the movie and the 2006 Chardonnay!!!
The story is such a sweet and meaningful one and the cast of Bottle Shock" definitely made the movie!
We're so glad we watched it and had the pleasure of tasting the fantastic wine too.
We'll definitely be sharing this movie and Chateau Montello with all of our friends and family.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!!!! Both the movie and the 2006 Chardonnay!!!
The story is such a sweet and meaningful one and the cast of Bottle Shock" definitely made the movie!
We're so glad we watched it and had the pleasure of tasting the fantastic wine too.
We'll definitely be sharing this movie and Chateau Montello with all of our friends and family.

At first I thought "oh great another sideways" but being a lover of wine I thought I'd watch it so I opened a bottle of red and settled in to watch. What an absolutely amazing movie. I had heard the story in passing throughout the years, it was great to finally see the whole story. How refreshing to see the history unfold. Way to go Barretts'. Keep making this fabulous juice!!! We are forever greatful.

My husband and I both really enjoyed the movie. We saw it right after it was released on DVD, I didn't really know much about the movie but I like Alan Rickman and Dennis Farina so I rented it. I have to say Bottle Shock is now one of my favorite movies, I tell people that haven't seen it that this movie is a must. After the movie was over I logged onto my computer and ordered one bottle 2005 Montelena Estate Zin and one bottle 2006 Napa Valley Chardonnay. We absolutely loved the wine especially the Zinfandel. I am not a wine expert (I leave that to my husband) but I was very impressed with the wine and the winery is such a beautiful place in the Sonoma Valley. Thank you for opening my eyes to a new experience.

My fiancee and I watched the movie while drinking Zen of Zin from Sonoma. We are wine lovers and enjoyed every minute of the movie. We will be getting married next year and hope to be able to visit Napa and Sonoma, places we have always wanted to go, for our honeymoon.

I was so excited to visit your website and find out more after watching Bottle Shock on pay per view. My husband and I took our first California vacation to San Francisco and Napa Valley 8years ago on Sept 11th. We arrived in Napa on 9/11 and were unable to visit most wineries since they had closed due to the situation. Fortunately, we did get to a couple and the experience was so amazing! We have wanted to go back ever since and seeing your movie just got us more inspired. I was so impressed with the story of how Chateau Montelena changed the face of Napa Valley! I relished Gustavo's passion for wine making so much that we are planning our first wine tasting party and your wines will be the highlight of the night. Hats off to your "his-story"!

Keep 'em short. Define "short"....gee whiz! You should have inlcuded that statement in BOLD, 18 FONT and double underlined for people like myself that zoomed into the word "story"! It's "my short story"...and a good one too. Now, if you said,"make a statement", well then, I guess I could be disqualified...but considering what you asked for, I gave you something(everything) short (and sweet, I might add). Surely I did not carried away, that is to say....it could have been a dissertation! Is there anyone out there who would disagree that my story should win? Oh..no objections??? Great! Cheers! Your job is complete. I'm the winner and I am packing my Jeep and all of my biking gear. Should I bring the mtn bike, road bike or both? (THE FINE PRINT: The aforementioned note is a just a "comment" and should not negatively impact the original story, or the author for that matter.)

My story is simple: me, my husband, my aunt and my uncle. One laptop. One DVD of Bottle Shock. One picnic blanket. 3 bottles of Gustavo Thrace Sauv Blanc. An empty field in Windsor, California. We stayed at our timeshare and after a day of heading to the wineries made infamous by the true story of Bottle Shock, we went to the hot tub and after awhile we opted to "sneak" into a nearby field, wrapped in towels and blankets, and watch the film at night under a starry sky. Simple, clean, (maybe not so elegant!!) and completely DECADENT!

Yikes, after reading the instrs a few times I finally noticed in small print to "keep 'em short" soooo here goes:
A friend of ours, knowing how much we love wine and everything about wine making, called me to rave about the movie Bottle Shock since she knew we especially would enjoy it given the subject matter and the location. As our movie evening arrived and we headed for the downstairs family room to watch it on a large screen, I got out one of our(my) favorite bottles of wine, Gamay Rouge from V. Sattui Winery in Napa. We then reminisced about our fun memories of Napa Valley and made a toast that we would make it back there again some day. We had a fun contest going throughout the movie as we named as many Napa wineries as we could remember (he won). Well, our friend was right about the movie, it was great!! I was not familiar with the true story of how the California wines finally got the recognition they deserved, but my husband was and we thank the makers of the movie for a delightful piece of Napa Valley history, endearing us even more to that wonderful wine valley.

I had heard of Bottle Shock, but hadn't seen it until a few months ago. We were on a mini vacation in Wisconsin, planning our wedding. We sat down to relax one night and my now new mothers-in-law were RAVING over the movie. Saying how wonderful it was & how crazy we were to have not seen it yet. We sat down to enjoy the movie with our choice of wines, white or red depending on taste, and were mesmerized by the movie. Wonderful! I can only dream of going to Napa Valley. It's on our list of top things to do, maybe one day.

Too late!

Saw the film on one of the pay channels, arranged a trip to Montelena to taste for my self.

The winery is nice the wines are better, the film fun and we purchased an autographed DVD signed by "Bo".

Fun film and we hope everyone enjoys the story with a loved one while sipping a fine wine.

All the best!

With Alan Rickman (Harry Potter Films), Chris Pine (Star Trek XI) and Bill Pullman (Independence Day) we thought this movie could be fun. As wine enthusiasts, as well as Star Trek and Harry Potter Fans, we were curious. We sat down with our DVD copy of Bottle Shock, a glass of California Cabernet Sauvignon,and were thoroughly entertained. Chris Pine played the role of the cocky up-start who gets beaten up and then goes on the be the hero, just as he did in Star Trek. Alan Rickman really hit the mark as the protagonist and Bill Pullman made the viewer feel the strain of being at the mercy of "The Industry" and "Mother Nature". After we viewed the film, we passed it on to our friends at Chouniard Vineyards in Castro Valley, California, who really have lived the experience of Bottle Shock. Great Movie.

When someone would mention the year 1976, I would think of America's Bicentennial. I would think of the men and women who fought and died for our country to all us freedom. I would think of fireworks and all things relevant to freedom and Independence Day. Until of course, Bottle Shock stepped in.
I first heard of Bottle Shock the Friday it was opening in a short one minute entertainment news clip that aired on the local news. They probably spoke of bottle shock for 8-10 seconds but I was interested nonetheless. After that news clip, I ran to the internet to watch the trailer for a better impression of the film. That was it. The trailer did it. I had to go see this film! However, I was 17 and my mother would not allow me to drive in Plano, Texas traffic to go see it because of her lack of confidence in my driving. So, I had just about given up hope and then, I went with a friend to see one of the Blockbuster's of the summer in which a trailer of Bottle Shock was shown. I told her that I wanted to go and see that. Her parents didn't mind her driving in the traffic and she said that it would be fun. Yes! I was actually going to see it. We settled on a date and got another friend to go with us and we departed for the Angelika Theatre in Plano, Texas. I was so excited to be able to go and see this! I never had the opportunity to see Independent films in the theatre. We arrived right on time. The beginning of the film captured me even more. The cinematography was amazing. Then, the score grabbed me. And imagine...this was just in the opening scene before any of the characters arrived on screen. By the time the characters were introduced, I couldn't tell you how captivated I was. The film was amazing! It had the most perfect ending any film could have. It had great acting. It was a story I had no idea about prior to hearing about the film. The film was also clean for the most part. There wasn't a whole lot of profanity and other junk incorporated into most films. I got chills in the scene in which Steven Spurrier annouced Chateau Montelana as the winner, even though I already knew that they would from previous research. My friends, who both have little appreciation or liking for Independent Films loved the film as well. Afterward, we went to dinner and shopping and could not stop talking about how awesome the film was! I was so happy. That film was such a great film!
Hardly a day went by afterward that I didn't think of the film. I told everyone I knew and some people I hardly knew that it was a film that had to be seen. People would give me strange looks and wonder aloud about my interest due to my being underage and not being able to drink wine. But I didn't care. It was fascinating.
For a time, I was worried that it wouldn't be released on DVD. But when I saw it was available for pre-order, I pre-ordered it. I have only pre-ordered one other film in my life, but knew that I had to pre-order Bottle Shock.
Now, when someone mentions 1976, my thoughts pass right over the Bicentennial to the Judgement of Paris. Bottle Shock introduced me to an event that few people remember. Even though, the Bicentennial is incredibly important, my thoughts go to the famous wine tasting that forever changed the wine world.

Growing up in Sonoma in the 70's with my "wino" friends and living in the era when Kunde just produced grapes and raised cattle in Kenwood/Glen Ellen, I really enjoyed this movie and seeing some of the scenery. I did not know it was filmed at Kunde. Makes me want to look at the film again. I thought I saw the old barracks in the square next to Pete Viviani's Sonoma cheese factory.

My newly engaged fiance' and I bought Bottle Shock last weekend to rekindle our fond memories of Napa, where I proposed in August. I had told her we would be traveling to a nearby casino in Mississippi for the weekend, but instead surprised her with a flight to Napa where I had arranged a weekend of fun and romance. I ended up popping the question at a vineyard overlooking the Napa valley and she said "YES!". The Napa Valley region will always be a special part of our lives. We had a great time watching Bottle Shock curled up on the couch drinking one of our bottles of Chardonnay from the trip. The movie helped us to appreciate the rich history of the area and the scenery brought back great memories. We can't wait to get back!

I bought the "Bottle Shock" without ever seeing it, but being a fan of Alan Rickman and Chris Pine thought it would be worth the chance. I was right! I had wine while watching the movie as well as going on a little wine tour to vineyards close to home (in Minnesota) with a friend the same weekend. I'd love to tour Napa Valley or maybe someday even open my own vineyard :)

I drink wine - my boyfriend does not. After procrastinating over hiring a movie one saturday night, he finally picked out Bottle Shock. Quick History - my boyfriend doesn't watch movies and he doesn't drink wine - now after watching Bottle Shock - he LOVES wine and he has watched Bottle Shock over 20 times. Its just an amazing movie.

We have not been to Napa Valley yet, but rented Bottleshock to experience it as best as possible for now. Would love to experience it in reality.

My husband, Gerard, and I are HUGE wine enthusiasts! We have never been to Napa Valley but have always wanted to go! On a whim, for our 1 year anniversary he decided to surprise me with the movie Bottle Shock and a bottle of the 2006 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. As we sat in our living room watching the opening scene with the aerial views of the endless rows of grape vines, we opened our anniversary bottle and slowly took in a little piece of heaven. Although we knew that this was without a doubt the best bottle of wine that we had ever experienced, it soon came to our attention that this was in fact so much more. "Rich, Round...With layers of tangerine...Peach...And just a kiss of oak." This simple description put into words what we were experiencing for the first time. The taste of every sip of this wine complemented the struggle of the characters and every scene in the movie. It is now our dream to see first hand everything that went into the making of this movie and this amazing wine.

Being home winemakers, my wife and I truly enjoyed the movie Bottleshock. It inspired us to have a "dinner and a movie night" with our best friends. I purchased the last bottle of Chateau Montelena and a bottle of Stag's Leap from the local wine store. Then we invited our friends over on a Friday night for oysters rockefeller and homemade goat cheese pizza. We watched the movie Bottleshock and drank these awesome wines right along with the characters in the movie! Our friends truly appreciated the uniqueness of our efforts. It was a fun night!

I'm going thru a divorce & my best friend was mad at her husband because he got a DUI!!! She ran away & slept at my house & we drank wine & stayed up late talking. It was an awful nasty October morning on the east coast. When we got up in the morning we started a fire, made pancakes, & watched Bottle Shock. It was cozy & comforting to watch a great movie with a good friend tucked away on the Jersey Shore!

My husband and I were in the Kunde tasting room with friends shortly after the movie was filmed. I picked up a "Bottle Shock" card, using it as a book mark as I waited for the movie to be released. We enjoyed the movie at home with a nice bottle of wine! Not only is it a great tru story of California wine's big breakthru, it really does capture the beauty of the California Wine Country that my husband and I have fallen in love with!!

I recently watched "Bottle Shock" with my girlfriend while we laid in my bed. She had come up for the weekend, I am still in school, and said there was a movie I needed to watch. She claimed that if I wanted to open my own vineyard before then I would really want to do so after watching this movie. She was right, as she usually is. We enjoyed a wonderful Blanc de Blanc from a local vineyard where she works, the Kluge Estate, and had a great start to our day. I now want to travel out west to visit more of these Californian vineyards and do more research into starting my own vineyard.

I read a "Bottle Shock" review, don't even remember where, and bought the DVD without knowing much more than that. I must admit that I watched it alone one rainy September evening, and I was enthralled. Scenes that I play and "see" in my mind over and over again are just about anything w/ Bill Pullman in it - but especially Jim's samuri scene in his former law office, as well as Alan Rickman's Spurrier "well, you think I'm an asshole" and "I'm British and you're not."
What a wonderful, charming, smartly-scripted movie with incredible visual capital, and just enough attitude from Eliza Dushku. So much talent w/ Miguel Sandoval, Dennis Farina, Freddy Rodriquez, Chris Pine and the entire cast. And the music!
I tell everyone I can about it, friends, family and customers. It has certainly furthered ignited my interest in wines, the incredible demands & strains of family businesses (wine and otherwise), as well the "yankee vs. the European" status struggles, and the history of the Northern California area chronicled in the film.
My first visit to Napa was in 1976. I am planning a trip to the Napa Valley in 2010, and hope to see Chateau Montelena and other successful and hardworking wineries. Keep making movies like this!

well - i watched it on my own...drinking tea..

i,m not going to win any competition with a dull story like that am i?

I was interested in the film cos i,m a HUGE Rickman fan, and i love California and planning on visiting Somona/Napa this November (i,m from England)and hope to visit this particular winery..we talked about doing the balloon ride but we are on such a tight budget..

thats my story - blimey - i was never any good at telling stories..

well - i watched it on my own...drinking tea..

i,m not going to win any competition with a dull story like that am i?

I was interested in the film cos i,m a HUGE Rickman fan, and i love California and planning on visiting Somona/Napa this November (i,m from England)and hope to visit this particular winery..we talked about doing the balloon ride but we are on such a tight budget..

thats my story - blimey - i was never any good at telling stories..

Without a doubt, my friend (aka ex-boyfriend), Trek remembers something about the romantic side of me. He insisted upon my viewing of Bottle Shock. His animated self was adorable to the point of wanting to date him again. However, this little writing adventure is not about an unrequited love story, rather it is all about a well scripted theatrical film that returned me to the reality of loving wine. Unfortunately, I was not provided with many details about the film nor did I complete any research before I pushed "play" from my leather recliner. Thus, in hindsight, I did not plan the best evening. Nevertheless, I had planned an evening of "let's prove Trek wrong". I began by walking my playful, yet senior doggies, Molly and Sophie, returned to my 685 sq ft humble abode, turn off the Alexander ring-a-ling and any other possible distractions, including Sophie's favorite multicolored, obnoxious stinky and squeaky toy. I am no Julia Child by any means...but as the movie remained on "pause" I completed my ten minute culinary obligation, gnocchi with a tomato vodka sauce from Trader Joe's. Considering I had not opened a bottle of wine in say, approximately a year due to physical training, I decided to go with the Italian pinot grigio (exact name escapes me, but it was the only bottle of wine I had in the house besides the dessert wine that was waiting for the punpkin pie). This "unknown" pinot grigio was waiting for an "unknown" cheese and cracker "celebration of sort" for over a year. I have since concluded that Trek is to blame for the untouched cork and the celebration that never occurred. Oh...little less about Trek and more about Napa. Just shortly after getting my derriere situated, plate on lap, wine perfectly placed within my reach and not the cats...I pushed "play". My eyes were immediately captured by the beautiful scenery and ears tuned to the music. Despite that I was eating dinner in front of my "not-so-smellavision", my keen sense of smell captured the rich earth and vineyards, as I recalled my time in Tuscany (assuming that there might be a slight difference in the Chianti and California soils). Then suddenly the music and the scenery changed a bit. I was viewing a couple of free spirited flower children, and I mentally scream to myself "What the heck was Trek thinking! He doesn't know me like he thinks he does! Why in the world would he think....." before I could finish my thought, I completely exhaled and begin to recall my desire to visit Napa. (I will refrain from admitting that I inhaled anything other than the soil). Indeed, I was engrossed with the movie, fell in love with Jim Barrett, fell in love with Bo (only after he insisted upon sending the wine to France), and of course, envied every person that had anything to do with, for a lack of technical jargon, "the film set". I can't in all honesty, say that I was having a laugh out loud fun evening as I would have been had I been jumping in mud puddles, however, I was having fun planning my "2010 To Do List". During the movie, I had mentally signed up for bike tour in Napa that has been on my "to do" list for approximately 10 long years, met the Barrett's and any other wine enthusiast that would listen to my endless list of questions, tasted the wine and asked to walk the vineyards to feel, smell and taste the rich and famous soil. Oh, I also planned my future wedding reception,(assuming I'll be exchanging vows to the man who requests my hand in marriage during the aforementioned Napa bike tour). What an imagination! It was the wine. Definitely the wine. I never once thought, "Where is Trek and why isn't he watching this with me?" (Truly, never once, as I keep telling myself.) The delightful and adventurous thoughts continued until my fat cat, Smelly jumped on my lap to help himself to my gnocchi. Yes, the imagination was running wild, just as the emotions of my "tele" guests. After a couple of glasses of my wine going down so quickly and smoothly, I was experiencing their (the Barrett's...not the cat's)ups and downs and enjoyed every bit of their success not realizing that my 4 four legged friends were sitting at my feet waiting for me to do something other than get inebriated. (As if they were planning to take photos to remind me that I didn't even come close to resembling Sam -AS IF!) As the movie approached the end, I sighed. I was sad that the evening was coming to an end,(kinda like my unknown pinot grigio) but there I was, glass in hand smiling for Napa vineyards. There could not have been a better ending to my evening, even if I had planned it to the very second, my spontaneous last sip of the wine from my glass perfectly matched the last sip of Alan Rickman's. It was as if we were silently communicating some of the successes of life as our arms fully extended to gently place our glasses on the table.

My son had watched the movie and told me to watch it, that I would love it. So I did all by myself on my bed and loved it! I have since become a friend of Montelena in their wine club and received my first two bottles. I plan to give the movie and one bottle to my boss for Christmas. I will savor the other in Idaho with my girls, Mom and sis, who I told to watch the movie which they did and loved it, too! Thanks!
Pam

I noticed that the DVD of Bottle Shock was due to be released right around Valentine's Day. Never knowing exactly what to give as a gift, I was inspired to present my beautiful bride with not only a copy of this movie, but a bottle of Chateau Montelena to drink as we watched. It was a magical evening. A great film, amazing wine - even the soundtrack was perfect as the Doobie Brothers were the first concert we ever saw together. The tough part is that I don't know how I will be able to top this!

My husband and I decided to take a road trip and see things we have not seen before. We went through Idaho, Washington, and stopped in Seattle to take a cruise. On the cruise we decided to watch a movie one night and it was Bottle Shock. We had never heard of it before and asked what it was about. What a treat as we were on our way to the California wine country right after docking. We made sure we went to Chateau Montelana and we had a wonderful wonderful time. We even talked to some people in Calistoga and they gave us stories from the movie and the preview of the movie at the winery. What a great surprise and fun. We are telling everyone to watch the movie and go the wine country for an awesome adventure.

My husband and I went to Napa for our honeymoon. I can’t even begin to explain how amazingly perfect this trip was, and it has since become our favorite place in the world. There has not yet been another vacation destination that we’ve been able to share the same love and appreciation for the land, people, food, lodging, activities, and of course, the wine.

With that being said, on our first anniversary, we decided to curl up together with a great bottle of wine that we bought during our honeymoon to watch a movie we had just heard about, Bottle Shock. The movie brought back so many memories. It was amazing to watch the story of Napa unfold and to learn about difficulty the vintners had in gaining respect for their wine. The movie was exciting, educational, inspirational and a bit romantic, which made it a great pick to celebrate our first year together. I purchased the movie the next day, and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched it…and suggested other people watch it. I always see something I missed, and it always seems to inspire me.

There is no better movie to watch with a bottle of Napa Valley wine and the love of your life.

Three weeks after Bottle Shock opened I was in Napa for a wedding, a place my heart calls home. I had heard about the movie from the bride-to-be and was desperately anxious to see it; especially after hearing about the breathtaking scenery shots and fun approach to a great moment in Napa's wine history. When the movie was released I was working out of town in a miserable city with miserable people as well as mentally preparing for a couple months out of work awaiting a needed surgery due to a car accident I had in '06. As I packed & planned for my 18th trip out to wine country to celebrate my friend's wedding at V Sattui, my mind kept making a mental note to watch Bottle Shock, and as I planned my tastings I made certain to put Chateau Montelena on the schedule, especially since we were staying up the road at The Pink Mansion in Calistoga AND they are one of the few wineries that begin tasting at 9:30am! I recall the drive through St Helena on the way to The Pink Mansion to check, looking up at Cameo Cinema and seeing the show times for Bottle Shock, another reminder in my mine "you must make time to see this movie" along with a quick snap of my camera to capture the moment.
Fast Forward to October '08 during my recovery at home back in Raleigh NC. My Mom from Virginia was staying with me to take care of me. I so desperately wanted a glass of wine, if only a taste. Here I am, an adult woman, and my mommy won't let me have a sip of wine, keeping a close watch that I don’t pop open a bottle and hiding the keys to the wine refrigerator.
The movie wasn't out on DVD or Pay Channels yet so all I could do was sit on the couch and look at the fabulous wine I brought back from my last trip, including the '05 Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena, and close my eyes to imagine how good it would taste. I knew that bottle had a purpose, and that purpose was to be opened while I watched the movie. All I could do was anxiously wait for Bottle Shock to be released for home viewing.
I believe it was finally mid-January when that magical moment arrived, when I could open my precious bottle of Chateau Montelena, sit back and enjoy the movie. To those reading this, no worry, my Mom finally gave in and allowed me my taste of wine while in her care - she isn't an evil woman after all!
I was still at home recovering and after 3 months of reviewing my life and making some tough realizations and decisions, I knew it was time to get out of corporate hell when I was fully recovered. I knew it was time to make that move into a career revolved around my passion of wine and in sharing such a special place with others. It wasn't until I saw Bottle Shock that my heart just sank - with the opening sweeping views of a place that I fall in love with over and over again, that I knew now was the time to take that leap of faith.
So I sat there with my chilled to perfection glass of Chardonnay, urging me to move forward.
I found Bottle Shock to be a great story. I know there are some negative reviews about how the movie wasn't a documentary but that is what I liked about Bottle Shock. For me, it portrays exactly all the thoughts going through my mind during the time it was released and out in theaters. In the movie, it portrays the California wine industry as it is being discovered and emerging into the global wine scene. It shows the difficulties related to making wine without being too technical, and it also helps us better understand the love and hard work of growing grapes and making wine....and for me, I am a vision of a person who is just emerging into my own, just as the grapes do, finding my passion and making my way into the industry.

I love this movie. Netflix "suggested" it to me. It came up as a "movie I might like". So glad I watched it instantly. I spend a lot of time in France with my French husband, and we tend to buy French wines. This got me intrigued. I'm going to order a bottle and watch it again with my husband this time.
By the way, you should put a link here so that we can share this on Facebook, or whatever your preferred site is. I want to share this.
Kisses and sips to all.

My best friend of 20+ years, Susan, and I get together as often as possible, share a bottle or two of wine, make some great food and watch movies. I had just returned from a Napa wine class when I received an email from Susan telling me about a new movie called bottle shock that we just had to see. I looked it up on the internet to see what it was about and realized that it was a movie on the same subject as I book I was reading, by George Tabor. I bought the DVD, we got a newer vintage of Chateau Montelena Chard and commenced to watch a beautiful story about a great period in California history. We were both almost moved to tears. Sharing great wine has been such a part of our friendship and the passion displayed in the movie moved us in a very special way. I still watch the movie about once a month and tell everyone I know who hasn't seen it yet, that they just have to. Bottle shock is the best wine movie ever!

This movie really took me back in time. I remember frequenting Napa wineries in the mid to late 70’s – way back when the tasting was free and free flowing. I even remember Chateau Montelana!

I am much more knowledgeable about wine now that I was back then (at least I hope I am) but I did not know much about bottle shock – how interesting that white wine can actually turn brownish if depleted of oxygen but yet retain its flavor.