Bottle Shock In The Hamptons

Originally Posted: August 06, 2008

Director Randy Miller, Nicole B. Brewer, actors Freddy Rodriguez and Rachel Taylor, and Vanessa Leggard at Savanna's in Southampton to celebrate the Hamptons premiere of "Bottle Shock". Photos by Rob Rich

The worlds of film and wine converged at Southampton Cinema for the premiere of Randy Miller and Jody Savin's newest film, "Bottle Shock". Out in the Hamptons for the event were a few stars from the movie including the dashing Alan Rickman, charming Bill Pullman, enigmatic Freddy Rodriguez, sexy Eliza Dushku, and vivacious Rachel Taylor.

The cast and over 200 guests including Debbie Bancroft, Princess Yasmin Aga Khan, Jeffrey and Linda Chodorow, Laurie and Michael Gelman, James and Whitney Fairchild, Jonathan and Somers Farkas, Katrina and Don Peebles, Erica and LA Reid, Marty Richards, Neal and Debby Sroka, Ellen and Chuck Scarborough, Jason and Haley Binn, Michael Lewittes, Jay McInerney, Rob Rich, Bettina Zilkha, Patrick McMullan, Keith Battaglia, Peggy Siegal, and Michael Cinque headed over to Savanna's for a dinner and wine tasting event after the film hosted by Malcolm Dunbar of Domaine Chandon and Newton Vineyard.

Bill Pullman and Debbie Bancroft at Savanna's.

Founded in the 1970s, both Domaine Chandon and Newton Vineyard were among the first wineries to help put Napa Valley on the map during this industry-building era. The two wineries remain leaders in the region that now boasts over 300 wineries and is renowned for producing world-class wines.

As the guests were seated, I had a chance to chat with the director and cast, most of whom worked on a second project as filming wrapped on "Bottle Shock" with Miller and Savin to be released in the fall, "Nobel Son," starring Alan Rickman as a Nobel prize winner. The story has numerous twists and turns and promises a very unexpected ending.

The soft spoken Alan Rickman greeted guests as if he were the host of the party and was excited about his upcoming projects. Good guys versus bad guys? The British actor does not have a favorite type of character that he prefers over another, he remarked that "it's the last one I played that's my favorite." In the past he's played the super baddie Hans Gruber in "Die Hard," Severus Snape in the popular "Harry Potter" franchise, and Alexander Dane in the campy flick "Galaxy Quest."

Alan Rickman and Joe Jurist at Savanna's.

Freddy Rodriguez brings so much heart to his role as Gustavo Brambila, a young winemaker in "Bottle Shock." Many know him from his breakout role as Frederico Diaz in HBO's hit, "Six Feet Under." Currently he's busy producing a project and welcomes all of the new challenges headed his direction.

Always the leading man, Bill Pullman joked about wishing he had more time to relax in the Hamptons, he too was in and out in just a few hours. Leading the cast in California as Jim Barrett, the broken owner of Chateau Montelena winery that is falling to pieces as funding gets tighter and tighter, he brings such open humanity to a role that you can't help but feel his angst and frustration. With over 60 films to his credit, it's great to see him play such meaty roles especially after playing screwball characters in "Spaceballs" and "Ruthless People."

"Bottle Shock" tells the true tale of the boom in the California wine industry in 1976 where during a blind taste test unknown California wines triumphed over French wines. This decision rocked the wine world and established California as a producer of world class wine. The film has real characters and breathtaking visuals of the California wine region and is a must-see for anyone who has ever sipped a glass of California chardonnay and wondered about the craftsmen behind the label.

---

Nicole, an award-winning journalist, is Executive Editor & Publisher of Hamptons.com where she focuses on celebrity interviews, fine living and design, social events, fashion and beauty. She lives on the North Fork with her husband, their two daughters, and Bernese Mountain dog, Cooper. www.hamptons.com HamptonsOnline NicoleBBrewer NicoleBBrewer NicoleBBrewer

www.hamptons.com/Out-And-About/Within-The-Hedges/4516/Bottle-Shock-In-The-Hamptons.html
Appeared In: out and about >> within the hedges