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Sour Grapes

  • 2016
  • TV-14
  • 1h 25m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6.3K
YOUR RATING
Sour Grapes (2016)
Trailer for Sour Grapes
 
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Crime DocumentaryFood DocumentaryCrimeDocumentary

Documentary about the fine and rare wine auction market centering around a counterfeiter who befriended the rich and powerful and sold millions of dollars of fraudulent wine through the top ... Read allDocumentary about the fine and rare wine auction market centering around a counterfeiter who befriended the rich and powerful and sold millions of dollars of fraudulent wine through the top auction houses.Documentary about the fine and rare wine auction market centering around a counterfeiter who befriended the rich and powerful and sold millions of dollars of fraudulent wine through the top auction houses.

  • Directors
    • Reuben Atlas
    • Jerry Rothwell
  • Stars
    • Laurent Ponsot
    • Jay McInerney
    • Jefery Levy
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    6.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Reuben Atlas
      • Jerry Rothwell
    • Stars
      • Laurent Ponsot
      • Jay McInerney
      • Jefery Levy
    • 15User reviews
    • 11Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins total

    Videos1

    Sour Grapes
    Trailer 2:00
    Sour Grapes

    Photos33

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    Top cast22

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    Laurent Ponsot
    • Self - wine producer in Burgundy, France
    Jay McInerney
    Jay McInerney
    • Self - novelist and wine columnist
    Jefery Levy
    Jefery Levy
    • Self
    • (as Jef Levy)
    Maureen Downey
    • Self - wine consultant
    Rudy Kurniawan
    • Self - convicted wine counterfeiter
    • (archive footage)
    Rajat Parr
    • Self - sommelier
    Arthur Sarkissian
    Arthur Sarkissian
    • Self
    • (as Arthur M. Sarkissian)
    Corie Brown
    • Self - food and wine writer, Zester Daily
    Don Cornwell
    • Self - lawyer and burgundy wine expert
    David Fredston
    • Self - private equity investor, Sole Source Capital
    Bill Koch
    • Self - businessman and collector
    • (as Bill Koch)
    John Kapon
    • Self - wine merchant and auctioneer
    • (archive footage)
    Brad Goldstein
    • Self - Bill Koch's spokesperson
    Percy
    • Self - Brad Goldstein's dog
    James P. Wynne
    • Self - FBI agent specialized in counterfeit goods
    • (as Jim Wynne)
    Jerome H. Mooney
    • Self - Rudy Kurniawan's defense attorney
    • (as Jerry Mooney)
    Vincent Verdiramo
    • Self - Rudy Kurniawan's defense attorney
    • (as Vincent Veridiamo)
    Jason Hernandez
    Jason Hernandez
    • Self - prosecutor in the Rudy Kurniawan case
    • Directors
      • Reuben Atlas
      • Jerry Rothwell
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews15

    7.26.2K
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    Featured reviews

    7Snakeskinzjr

    well done documentary

    I was not familiar with the case of wine conman Rudy Kurniawan before this film. This guy was obviosity believable to the point some of the people he sold fake wine too, were still defending him even after his conviction. It really does show that it is much easier to fool somebody than to convince them they have been fooled, AKA the last two years come to mind. Amazing how long this guy was able to operate his scam and make millions all the while hanging out with and being adored by the very people he took advantage of. I thought this doc. Was interesting and well made , recommend.
    8clairelouise5

    A great documentary

    This documentary was a fascinating insight into the workings a conman. It was like dipping a toe into the world of extreme wealth and extravagance of the millionaire and billionaire wine collectors. My eyes are still watering over some of those sums of money paid for a single bottle of wine.
    8shanayneigh

    Worth watching

    I don't drink wine, but I found this documentary very interesting. It's amazing how these self appointed experts were (like the Hollywood director who rather pathetically refuses to take off his shades) - and still are - fooled by what this guy did. They're probably living in denial, embarrassed. And I can't say I'm upset with Koch losing money. I'm only upset he didn't lose more of it.
    8planktonrules

    Proof that even rich people can be quite stupid!

    "Sour Grapes" is an interesting documentary because it has a lot to say about human nature...particularly about how stupid folks can be...even rich folks!

    The film begins with the insane craze of the 90s and into the 21st century that sent the prices of the premier wines to the moon. In some cases, wines had gone up ten times...all because folks suddenly thought buying Bordeaux wines was the best...and a way to show off their wealth. Into this atmosphere came Rudy Kurniawan...a wine expert that seemed to have an almost inexhaustible supply of wine to sell to the great auction houses. Not surprisingly, eventually folks started to question his high lifestyle and a French winemaker was justifiably angry when he realized counterfeit wines were being sold with his winery's name on it.

    Most viewers probably DON'T care too much about spoiled rich folks getting ripped off. However, I enjoyed the film because it was an interesting look at human nature--the greed, the willing stupidity and the insistence by a couple idiots that Rudy STILL is a pretty cool guy!!! It's also interesting, but not the least bit surprising, that Rudy's lawyer made 1001 excuses and minimizations for his client's actions...after all, he IS a defense lawyer. Overall, there's a lot of interesting things here about people...and the realization that wealth and sophistication don't necessarily have much correlation with common sense!
    9paul2001sw-1

    At the end of every (not-so-hard) day, people find some reason to believe

    The fine wine market is a very peculiar one. Firstly, fine wine is arguably an acquired taste: many people can't tell that good wine is good. You could say that people learn, but you could also say that an elite group have unilaterally determined what fine wine actually is through the simple expedient of being prepared to spend large sums of money on it. Secondly, there's a lot of ritual involved in wine drinking, and those who can wine connoisseurs would actually be very unhappy if fine wine could be bought cheaply, even if it allowed them to drink it more often: a wine bottle is definitely a fetish object, not just the container for some fermented grape juice. And finally, the supply of old wines is finite. If enough rich people want to own (and drink) them as status objects, there's almost no limit to how high the price for a bottle could go. Rudy Kurniawan appeared in the US wine collectors' market in the early 21st century. Apparently a rich kid with a fantastic palate (i.e. he could spot the same differences in taste of the most renowned experts), he soon developed a reputation as a devoted collector of the rarest wines. He was generous in sharing these with his friends (mostly fellow collectors), but he actually bought so much wine that they didn't benefit from his presence overall – the market itself moved under his influence. And when he started to sell from his cellar, you might have wondered if he wasn't just a naive enthusiast overpaying for his hobby, but actually someone smart (and brave) enough to hope to generate (through buying) an enthusiasm for rare wines that could outlast his subsequent selling, the classic technique employed by sellers of penny stocks and many other types of huckster (though it's not necessarily illegal to try and make a market in this way).

    What is illegal, of course, is putting new wine in old bottles; and in the event, it transpired that this was what "Rudy" (in fact, not his real name) had done. With the aid of his genuinely good sense of taste, and with the backing of relatives belonging to Indonesian organised crime, Rudy was blending wines to match the taste of the most famous (and expensive) vintages. Because he bought so much real wine, he was able to flood the market with fake. Nonetheless, the story of his ten-year goal sentence leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth: it seems excessive for the harm caused, the crime being to spoil a game played by rich people for little ultimate effect. One can also note that no-one other than the foreigner has been prosecuted for the fraud: its hard to believe there were others who did not suspect and/or collaborate, but it's possible to conclude that the American establishment has ultimately protected its own. Oddly, some of those defrauded are inclined to cut Rudy more slack than perhaps he deserves. In any case, I strongly recommend this intriguing documentary, a perfectly paced tale whose minor subject is wine: it's major subject is what, and why, we choose to believe.

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Trivia
      Rudy Kurniawan's Bel Air home shown briefly in the film was later owned by comedian Kathy Griffin.
    • Connections
      Referenced in The Joe Rogan Experience: Dave Smith (2022)

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    FAQ

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 16, 2016 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Official site
      • Facebook
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Bittra druvor
    • Production companies
      • Faites Un Voeu
      • MetFilm Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross worldwide
      • $25,147
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 25 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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