Red Obsession

Excellently made film, but the film seems to make a huge deal out of just doing business as I was taught to do in my MBA program, selling products at a high price to an inflated market.Rich Chinese are buying the best wines purely as a status symbol, not because they are connoisseurs. They will move to purchasing alternative status symbols when wine grows common, dropping the price of French wines to previous prices. Not a big deal as long as the French growers do not plan for the future based on the current inflated prices.Threats to the French wine industry would seem to be 1) the sale of traditional vineyards to foreign interests 2) future competition for world markets from Chinese vineyards.1) Some businessmen will sell their vineyards to outside interests if the price is right. Nothing the French can really do about it, except make this illegal to do.2) If similar stocks are used to produce wines in China, the land and climate are different: wine is different from microclimate to microclimate. Chinese wine will not be French wine.According to the film the Chinese taste for wines is growing, so there is an emerging market for Chinese and French wines. The average French person is going to get excellent wines at the corner market, so they are not hurt. French wines have been there for 2000 years at least, so they probably are not going away soon.For these reasons I could not be as enraged over the situation as the film seems to want me to be.

I found this documentary interesting because it shows the shift in the primary Bordeaux market from the US and Japan to China and the effect this shift has had on the prices and availability of said wines.Most interesting of all is the interview where the woman actually says she doesn't care if her bottle is a fake or if it is any good - it is enough to know she wanted it and purchased it at the auction!We see that with the decline in American interest for Bordeaux, the producers and importers have flocked to China to create a new market for this thirsty country. Of course there is a lot of fraud, manipulation, and forgery - but this documentary doesn't delve too deeply into this facet.It is short (75 minutes) and heavily focused on the subject - so it is of interest to what I would think is a very specific person. Wine drinkers who have interest in the Bordeaux futures (whether buying Bordeaux or just interested in the process) or those who are in the industry would find more appeal from this documentary. Still, it is interesting to see the new thirst for these wines - a thirst driven mainly by speculation and ownership than actual enjoyment and consumption of the wine!

Great film. Insightful from both sites. It is so easy to be shortsighted, to give on opinion. They have avoided it. The film presents facts and the views of people from both sites. Wine is and it will remain forever on obsession for some and a status symbol for others . I came away from this film with two things. First no need to cry about the prices. All other luxury goods are expensive, why not wine. Also remember there was a time when luxury was flowing from China to Europe in a form of porcelain, silk and spices .Those goods were only for the kings, whats deferent now is just the direction of flow. They are the kings now, they get to drink the legendary wines. For us simple people, for whom wine is an obsession, the news are great. The whole world is growing grapes and making wine. No matter were you go, you are bound to run into a good glass of wine. Obviously quality will rise sharply, it already is. We get to drink amazing wine at a reasonable price. Dare I say many times as good as the fabled stuff. So why complain. It's the wine that matters right, cause we are drinking not impressing ! Of course visually gorgeous film . Get a glass of wine and enjoy !

Enjoyable documentary, but there is an audio issue approximately 2/3 into the run-time where audio output simply stops. This behavior occured on both a Roku player and a Playstation 4. To correct this issue, I had to configure the device I was using for playback - either the Roku or the Playstation - to output audio in Stereo and not any of the Dolby Digital variants.If you do this and resume playback, audio should be fine. Just remember to set your device back to Dolby Digital audio output for playback of other content.

This documentary shows how dangerous the new wealth coming from the Far East could be. It drives prices up from apartment rents in Hong Kong (not shown here) to wine prices to the point that the locals cannot afford it. It can and will create crises by inflating the markets and then sucking them dry.The documentary is well made, showing the greed of the Bordelais wine dealers and makers (who seem to live in a different planet), as well as the obscene waste of money from the uneducated new wealthy Chinese.Well made, yet frightening.

This review may contain spoilers ***Getting rather aggravated with these nouveau riche Chinese folks who think they are going to show up the world. Well, who would be proud to have ANYTHING that says MADE IN CHINA?? Complete embarrassment and they only have to purchase another countries goods to feel proud. Shameful.Appreciating the whole USA California Napa wine growing region recognized in the 1970's as superior to French wines does not seem to impress our fellow hoarders. However, Appellation Chinoise receives the coveted designation and highest awards with Parker in tow with their vineyards, but who believes this was not bought and sold? If a stellar vintage occurs every 20 years but suddenly it happens overnight in China? OK folks let talk bridge sales.I appreciated the delightful cinematography of the French wine regions and their respective histories. I am spoiled by having a touch of access to superb Napa wine selections and decided that craft beers are a more satisfying and affordable experience.Hence, I recommend for French wine enthusiasts and the roller derby that China brings to the table. Russel Crowe is the definitive narrator.

This documentary about the world of Bordeaux wine could have been a winner, as it's a rich subject with many different angles to explore, but the end product is a bit insipid. On the plus side, the cinematography is excellent, with plenty of rich, sweeping shots of the Bordeaux region and its vineyards. However, there are some fundamental flaws here, starting with the mystifying decision to have the narration done by Russell Crowe - yes, here's a documentary about fine wine narrated by an Australian yob who keeps mispronouncing basic French. The story is also lacking: the focus is on the hype around the key vintages and the prospects of the new Chinese market, but there's no real dynamic arc to the documentary, nor is there a resolution of any real sort.Give it a whirl if you're a real wine obsessive, but don't expect too much.

It is a very interesting documentary about the Bordeaux wine market. The documentary show why the prices for the Bordeaux went through the roof.

Very Bordeaux oriented.

Good documentary and relevant to the current period.

Great documentay and eye opener !!!