SOUR GRAPES (Jerry Rothwell, Reuben Atlas). 86 minutes. Opens Friday (May 27) at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Early on in Sour Grapes, in a vineyard in the Burgundy region, a man pushes a smoker through the rows, the thick clouds wafting over grapevines that curl like branches designed by Tim Burton. It’s a quaint look at the natural and tender process that goes into making a terrific wine.
Cut to a stateside auction, where guys who look straight out of Wall Street throw down their “fuck you” money for bottles like they’re vying for shares after a hot stock tip.
Directors Jerry Rothwell and Reuben Atlas, in their hilarious, fascinating and undeniably entertaining doc, map out the cross-pollination between these two cultures – some wine labels are as coveted as bearer bonds – and lay the groundwork for a great wine fraud.
This is a wine culture documentary with FBI agents and forensic teams swirling around to expose a remarkable multi-million dollar hustle. When it’s finished, your bottle of Château Pétrus may taste a lot like a sub-prime mortgage.
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