John Cleese - Wine for the Confused (2004)

cleese rules

John Cleese gives a no-nonsense look at enjoying all kinds of wine. You don't have to get involved in all the potential descriptors and aspects of wine. Experimentation is the key, like most everything. Moderation is the mode of the day. You enjoy what you enjoy ... plain and simple. John shows you don't have to buy the expensive wines to find something that agrees with your palate. July 13, 2008

paintlady

fun to watch--more fun than informative, although I did learn some things about wine culture.
One CAN have fun and learn at the same time. September 7, 2007

Very enjoyable!

I really enjoyed this...John Cleese is warm and funny, but actually interested in this subject and conveys it well. This is NOT some sort of "sommelier course" in wine, it is directed toward those with basic knowledge who want to learn a little more. People expecting some sort of advanced info be warned. Cleese picks a few common types of wine and visits local (to him) California vineyards to learn about the production process, and a little more about each type of wine. Some basic info about serving wine, ordering wine in restaurants, etc., is included...along with John's mantra, "Drink what you like!"

It's altogether un-snobby and enjoyable. My only complaint is that it's too brief. I would like to see Cleese host some sort of ongoing wine series on the Food channel. I really love his style.

Regarding the preview of the movie at the beginning...I don't know what the other reviewer was referring to when mentioning a preview with "lots of nudity"...that certainly wasn't on the dvd I watched. What was there was a preview for a foreign film which had some sexual innuendo. Nothing too offensive, and certainly not worth giving this dvd a bad review!
August 2, 2007

Not worth it

This product was accidently sent to my parents home, so I told them to watch it before they forwarded it on to me. They never did, and boy am I glad they didn't. This video has a five minute cheesy preview for another movie, and in their preview lots of nudity is shown. My parents would NOT have been amused. It was so bad I thought that I might have gotten a mis-labeled DVD. But not, the John Cleese part eventually showed up.
John Cleese's standard humor you have known from his movies is lacking, the party at his house looks totally scripted, the interviews are stiff and do not flow, etc. Anyone want to buy my copy...? July 14, 2007

Disappointing

The John Cleese name made me think this would be witty and informative. It was neither. He does make one good point - that people often are intimidated into feeling they "should" like something expensive, which needn't be the case. If you need convincing on that point then buy & watch, otherwise save your money. March 31, 2007

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