Bottle Shock is based on the true story of Steven Spurrier a wineshop owner who in 1976 single handedly brought Californian wines to the world, it may sound quite boring and I nearly didnt rent it but I'm so pleased I did. And although it's been compared to 'Sideways' it stands up on it's own.

Alan Rickman plays a snobbish wine expert quite ignorent to any other wines except from the French. He travels to California to discover that quitely the Americans have been producing very good wine unnoticed for years. He therefore moves from vineyard to vineyard tasting wine, meeting great people and taking bottles to be entered in his wine competition in which world known (French) wine experts judge.

It is a very upbeat kinda feel good film shot on location with breathtaking scenery of the Napa valley in CA. It's funny, heart warming and an all round great film that deserves to be more widely recognised, with a great cast including Chris Pine, Dennis Farina and a good performance from Bill Pullman playing the man struggling to follow a dream, and not forgetting the great Alan Rickman who is brilliant as always.

I would say get this even on a whim because I'm NEVER usually into these sort of films, I was left very very suprised. See for yourself.