Essentially a 110-minute advertisement for Château Montelena, but one that I actually wish was 10 minutes longer so that the scenes had a bit more room to breathe. It's tempting to read into the politics of this movie: at the very least, it's more than a bit dishonest to portray the United States as just a bunch of scrappy upstarts, somehow bumbling along and persevering... at the same time that Vietnam is happening of all things. You could probably write a different essay on the near-invisibility of race in this movie, as you could with class: the owner was a partner in a law firm and not some kind of enological Horatio Alger? Don't worry though, the same guy goes on to become the President and makes a pretty good speech.
Synopsis: Paris-based wine expert Steven Spurrier heads to California in search of cheap wine that he can use for a blind taste test in the French capital. Stumbling upon the Napa Valley, the stuck-up Englishman is shocked to discover a winery turning out top-notch chardonnay. Determined to make a name for himself, he sets about getting the booze back to Paris.