For a lover of the idea of a man or woman's dare to dream, I loved it. I am young hopeful winemaker from Oregon and that movie gets me every time. Its a beautiful story. It is Hollywood and it can be critiqued if you want to look that far in to it. But for me it is more of the overall message and the secret appeals of living life true to your heart. Loved it.

Small.simple, and, although the love story was a bit contrived, real and engaging. Strong performances by Rickman and Pullman, with a nice little supporting performance by Freddy Rodriquez. Exquisite to look at and absorbing throughout, I consider this a lttle gem that uses its talented cast to create believable characters acting like people act (with enough theatricality to keep it interesting). Nicely done!… Expand

Bottle Schlock. What could have been a Grand Cru turns into a Grand Poo. Uninspired, unconvincing and unbelievable. I am sure that this was so not the way it went down and that the real Barrett's must have cringed at watching themselves portrayed as cliche American morons.

I was looking forward to this movie because of the story line....Loved the shots of Napa and Paris. The hideous wig Bo's character wore was a distraction every time he appeared in a scene. I was hoping he'd clean up for Paris, but it wasn't to be. Like another commenter, I felt like the movie just plodded along.

A delightful small movie -- what film that incorporates Paris, the Napa Valley and wine could be anything but a delight?

I agree with Michael S. I understand they had to stay close to the facts, but the love story between the guy with the bad wig and the blonde was kind of offensive, we were supposed to be relieved that she ended up with him instead of the Hispanic guy, who was a much more interesting and attractive actor. He also appeared to have the best wine, because the girl took one sip and had sex with him. So why didn't his wine win? Fakey looking set up on the hill for that sex scene, by the way. And Bill Pullman is a terrible actor, I'm so tired of watching him narrow his eyes and look sideways all the time. Speaking of Sideways -- go rent that again. You'll have much more fun.… Expand

A documentary would have been informative and entertaining, but this approach simply failed. No matter how hard you want to try, there is no "hip" angle to the world of wine.

Better to be called "Bottle Schlock." What a disappointment. Amazing how Hollywood can mess up a great story through poor screenwriting, bad direction, really bad set design, detectable wigs, unskilled makeup, and cinematography that looks like a TV commercial from a Learning Tree class. Somebody should have kept the camera boom, the helicopter, and the yellow filter away from that cameraman. This film was so bad, we made lemonade, so to speak, and actually had fun making fun of the film, catching all the errors, continuity problems, moving reflectors, and atrocious editing. Wow! I need a glass of good wine!… Expand

Found this movie to be very refreshing! Maybe it's because I was 18 in "76" or maybe it's the fact that I love California wines. It had a really good feel about it and seemed like real life. Sorry I didn't see it until it was on a pay channel. Have watched it 3 times.

Starts slow and ends corny but everything in between is nice. Don't expect greatness and you'll not be disappointed.

Loved it! Saw the movie on two occassions and was entertained on both occassion. Had the right amount of humor, romance and rooting for the underdog. Plus California wines rule!

Disappointing. Boring. Lots of faux platitudes to wine ("it is sunlight!"). I looked at my watch constantly. It is a great premise, and Rickman and Farina do their best to keep it interesting, while the shots of California vineyards and peppy, folksy soundtrack do set a pleasant mood. But there's TOO much time spent driving around, looking at the grapes, and every time some tension is built, it is rapidly broken. It only gets 4 points because of the attractiveness of the scenery, and Eliza Dushku. And I actually LOVE wine and the stories that go with them! Your ticket money would be better spent purchasing a bottle of Yellow Tail.… Expand

All in all a delightful little film with warm tones of humor and just the right sharpness of wit to create a delicate yet full flavored cinematic experience that pleases the emotional palate and simultaneously satisfies the intellect. Lovingly melds the rough-hewn origins of California's viticulture, the polished formality of Continental savoir faire and straight ahead Milwaukee persistence into a convincing dramedy that resonates with the ring of truth. A bit long and somewhat soft in the middle, but not so much as to detract from the pleasure of the viewing, Bottle Shock is an excellent accompaniment to a dinner alfresco at one of Manhattan's many Upper West Side outdoor café options.… Expand

This movie should be called "Chris Pine's Hair is Distracting" or "This Is How You Make a Bad Indie Movie". Too long, poorly edited, lazily written and just plain stupid. So much could have been done with the core story, involving the Rickman and Pullman characters (the best of the bunch), but for some reason the screenwriter chose to center things on a really dopey love story about hot white people with distracting hairstyles. A real disappointment. Rickman, Pullman and the cinematography were the only redeeming qualities.… Expand

A delightful and delicate movie, very funny with excellent and sensitive characters. I really enjoy this story because I'm a native french-speaking just visiting the USA (AZ) for a couple of months, so that I am really comparing both cultures. I think this movie does pretty much the same by putting together two frames of life, two slices of such different points of view. To be enjoyed!

Good cast, well acted, especially Alan Rickman. Finely written, but it does have a few slow moving patches. I also wasn't impressed with the period detail. Overall, it is a satisfying film though.