Falcon Crest

Falcon Crest is the name of a soap opera from the 1980s that is based around a power struggle between two families, the Giobertis and the Channings. The two main characters are Angela Channing and Chase Gioberti though a third power, Richard Channing, enters the scene in the second series. It is centred around a winery called Falcon Crest. Currently only the first two series are available on DVD. The third series is rumored to be released in 2012.

The first series focuses on the mystery surrounding the death of Jason Gioberti who is Angela's brother and Chase's father. Chase seems to spend all his energy on getting the vineyard property he inherited going and Angela spends all her energy on trying to make Chase and his family leave the fictional Tuscany Valley. In the end, Chase finds out in court, via Emma (Angela's daughter) that it was all an accident. Chase ends up with total control of Falcon Crest but unrealistically gives 50% back to Angela.

The second series focuses on the death of Carlo Agretti and his daughter's forced marriage to Angela's grandson, Lance. Chase's son, Cole, is suspected of the murder right up to the last episode when it is revealed that Angela's daughter, Julia, killed Carlo and tried to frame Cole.

I found the series to be much better than Dallas or Dynasty in that there was a story line running through all the episodes. The actual setting for Falcon Crest was Spring Mountain Vineyards in Saint Helena.

I also bought the book thinking that the series was based upon it but it turned out to be a just a  telling of the first two television series.

Website : Falcon Crest
Website : Falcon Crest Wikipedia

Bottle Shock DVD/Blue-Ray

This was the first Blue-Ray disk I have bought (and so far the only one). I was pleasantly surprised by this film: it was more wine-orientated than I was expecting. Although based around the Judgement of Paris 1976 tasting, it focused purely on Chateau Montelena and the relationship between Jim Barrett and Bo Barrett.



I don't know how true-to-life the story really is, only Stephen Spurrier can say, but I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

Floyd Uncorked, Two DVD Boxset, The Keith Floyd Cookery Collection

This series was made in conjunction with Jonathan Pedley MW and was screened on Channel 5 in 1998. Each episode sees the pair in a region of France. They discuss the types of wines found their and Keith cooks up a feast focusing on local ingredients and recipes.

Their was even a spinoff video produced complete with wine to taste.

There are eight episodes : Burgundy, Loire, Rhone, Bordeaux, Alsace, Provence, Languedoc, and Champagne.



This is a Region 0 PAL DVD and lasts 200 minutes.

I bought my copy from Amazon UK for a cost of 8.98 pounds plus postage.

Website : Delta Leisure Group
Website : Floyd Uncorked Blog
Website : Keith Floyd's Official Website
Website : Floyd's France : An Adventure in Wine Tasting

Vintners' Tales DVD

This new DVD contains of the nine of best 10-minute film portraits in the award-winning BBC2 series Vintners’ Tales shown in 1992 and 1998, comprising the following characters in conversation with Jancis Robinson. Unfortunately, it is missing some episodes which is a bit of a let-down.

This television series won the Best Television Programme of the Year award at the annual Glenfiddich Awards. The 1998 series also earned Jancis Robinson the only ever Glenfiddich TV Personality of the Year and went on to global recognition by winning the Gold Award for Wine TV Programmes at the World Food Media Awards at Tasting Australia in 1999.

The DVD Contents are

Series 1
Harry Waugh (Honoury MW)
Bill Baker (Reid Wines)
Farr Vintners

Series 2
Michael Broadbent MW (Christie's)
Carla Carlisle (Wyken Vineyards)
Adam Brett-Smith (Corney and Barrow)
Nigel Wilson (Lincoln College, Oxford University)
John Avery MW (Averys)
Edmund Penning-Rowsell

What comes across is Michael Broadbent's hatred of Sothebys, John Avery's chaotic approach to business and what a great job Nigel Wilson had; every time Nigel went down to one of the college cellars, if he could find them, there was almost a guarantee to discover some unknown treasure of a wine.

This DVD can be bought via Jancis Robinson's website. It costs ten pounds of which five pounds is donated to the charity Comic Relief.

Website : Jancis Robinson

Champagne Charlie DVD

I just finished watching "Champagne Charlie" yesterday. It is a 2 DVD set and stars Hugh Grant who isn't too bad in the role. It is the story of Charles Heidseck who travels to America to promote his champagne and ends up spying for the French prior to the American civil war. In the end he regains control of his vineyards and winery from his uncle who is jealous because his mother didn't marry him.

Oz and James's Big Wine Adventure DVD

I started to rewatch my Big Wine Adventure DVD yesterday - started off with the Bordeaux episode. The idea behind the programme is that wine expert, Oz Clarke, travels around France teaching wine illiterate, James May from BBC's Top Gear, about wine. The interaction between James and Oz is entertaining but after a while James becomes irritating and spoils what could be a fabulous show. This episode includes dining at Pichon-Lalande with May Eliane de Lencquesaing and a tasting of Christian Seely's wines at Pichon-Baron. They also visit Chateau Smith Haut-Lafitte to take in the grape extract massage and jacuzzi though we could have done without the unecessary shots of Oz and James in G-strings.

The DVD consists of two disks containing 6 episodes, a biography of Oz and James and a behind the scenes documentary covering the making of the DVD.

The DVD is made by Acorn Media UK Ltd and was released in January 2007. There is also an accompanying book published.

Website : Acorn Media UK Ltd
Website : Wikipedia Entry
Website : BBC