The Chateau Meroux
The Chateau Meroux
PG-13 | 09 August 2011 (USA)
The Chateau Meroux Trailers

Wendy is a smart single woman in the big city who’s never been able to find a good job or decent relationship. But when her estranged father dies, Wendy suddenly inherits a beautiful yet struggling Napa Valley winery. With the help of her best friend, Wendy will have to deal with a local winemaker and his father, a shrewd competitor who’s trying to crush her vineyard.

Reviews
Amy Adler

Wendy (Marla Sokoloff) has had an erratic work history. Flitting from job to job, she has struggled to pay bills by becoming a direct saleslady and more. This upsets her close friend, Amanda. But, out of the blue, Wendy receives word that her long-estranged father has passed away and left her a VINEYARD! Lucky girl, the place has a nice house and grounds in Napa Valley. However, there are complications. First, Wendy knows nothing about making wine. On impulse, this pretty lady decides to learn. Then, her father's wine label has struggled to make a profit, lately, selling bottles that are "high end", without less expensive selections. Finally, unknown to Wendy, a neighboring wine producer (Christopher Lloyd) has plans to sabotage Wendy's wine making at the Château Meroux and snatch up the place when Wendy is forced to sell it. On the up side, Wendy meets a nice gentleman, Chris (Barry Watson) who trades barbs with her, initially, but who ignites a romance between them. However, Chris may have some secrets up his sleeve. Can Wendy become a success at last, when she enters a wine contest to get the CM back in big business? This charming film, set in beautiful wine country, is a new joy for fans of romantic comedy. There are some clever lines and situations sprinkled throughout while Sokoloff and Watson are engaging, very attractive performers. There is also a secondary romance thrown in for good measure, which will please everyone. Viewers will love the costumes and fun direction as well. So, locate this film, open a bottle of wine, and savor the combination.

... View More
Lee-Anne Phillips

I was disappointed in the absurdly thin plot divises used to further the action, as for example the total inability of the principals to recognise deliberate sabotage, apparently assuming that stopcock handles can turn themselves and then leap off the valve and throw themselves on the floor, apparent suicides. That said, one isn't entirely disappointed in the actors, who are almost uniformly pleasant and attractive, with the exception of the piece's almost absurdly transparent villain and his doltish assistant, who weren't easily distinguished from those of the commedia dell'arte. All in all, a moderately pleasant diversion, and fairly typical of the genre.

... View More
Franklie

We did like the actors. The music was pretty good. The plot was good. And the cinematography was fabulous.But the writing was awful. Among the concepts that were hard to believe are that the main character girls are snarky and drunkards and juvenile one minute, then supposedly wise and kind and mature the next, making the personal connections and business decisions they make hard to accept. Also, the estate business takes place in a time frame that isn't believable, so again, hard to accept.Then there's the vocab. It would be SO great if writers would just stay away from the gungy words and concepts that do nothing but create litter and instead give us high-road words and situations that make sense.And next to the ignorant vocab, there's our next least favorite thing.. The moment when a character really should say what needs to be said, but instead uses precious moments to either stay silent or do the "You don't understand" or "Just listen to me" or some such. Just spit it out! And on the flip side, the listener doesn't listen. SO many stories include this plot twist and it's always annoying. Especially since up til then that character usually has had no problem spouting whatever comes to mind and the listener has usually been a great listener.If you're not expecting much, you'll probably enjoy the show. If you're hoping for a smart story, this isn't it. Either way, the actors are fun, especially Christopher Lloyd, and the views are beautiful.

... View More
QuirkyCat

Having read very mixed reviews, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. So, in the end, I decided that the only way to find out is to go ahead and watch it. I got the movie and to be honest, was expecting a huge disaster (I guess negative reviews always dominate). I've just finished watching and so glad I did. The acting wasn't bad, yes, not a Hollywood blockbuster, but who always needs those movies. It is a lot, and I really mean a lot, better than many movies out there. I really was impressed. Well done to the actors and director - it could have been a bland, movie with stiff acting and poor dialog, no feeling, but it turned out really well. And I even felt for the characters. So, all-in-all, a cute little movie that I'm really glad I watched and will watch again.

... View More