'Bottle Shock' earns $3.6M at box office

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- The wine-themed, U.S. independent movie "Bottle Shock" has earned $3.6 million in box office receipts since opening last month, Freestyle Releasing says.

The movie is about the infamous 1976 Paris tasting in which California wines beat the French offerings, opening the door for the globalization of the wine market. The movie stars Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Chris Pine, Eliza Dushku and Freddy Rodriguez.

Freestyle said the film also is being credited with increased tourism and wine sales in Napa Valley where it was shot last summer.

"'Bottle Shock' has turned into kind of a cultural phenomenon, both tapping into and fueling the current fascination with fine wine and food," film marketing veteran Dennis O'Connor, who oversaw its release, said in a statement.

The movie focuses on several characters who make and sell wine at California's Chateau Montelena, which had the winning white wine at the 1976 Paris tasting.

"'Bottle Shock,' and all the buzz and news about the film, has certainly increased our brand exposure," Greg Ralston, managing director of Chateau Montelena, said in a statement. "We've seen an increase in visitors this summer who have seen the movie and who want to taste our wines. We're delighted with the goodwill and consumer interest the movie is bringing to Napa Valley."