A Ron-con set in the California wine country, pitting a macho American high-tech, jug wine maker against a sophisticated French woman as they attempt to save the vineyard by producing award-winning champagne.

SYNOPSIS:

Belle, a crusty lady in her 80's, and a world-famous ceramicist, inherits a top Sonoma County jug winery from her brother. It is a successful business but debt-ridden because of her brother's gambling.

Her grand nephew, Spritzer, in his late 20's, efficiently runs the jug winery. Belle, now that she is the owner, wants to fulfill her father's dream of creating the best champagne in California. But they are in grave danger of losing the vineyard to Nelson, Spritzer’s cousin, a wine wholesaler, who holds the mortgage to the vineyard and wants to recall the loan. Belle, however, decides to put her own money into the enterprise to rescue it and produce some great champagne. Spritzer is uncertain how this can work, as he knows nothing about making champagne. But Belle reminds Spritzer that both he and Nelson are her heirs. But if she does not put her money into the vineyard to make the champagne, then Nelson will recall his mortgage and he will have the whole vineyard for himself while Spritzer will have nothing. Now that, Spritzer can understand and he agrees.

Belle hires a top champagne maker from France, Michel Fouchon, in her early 30s, to work for two years to train Spritzer to create the champagne winery. This chef du cave turns out to be a very sophisticated French woman, strong, opinionated, and an equal match for the rowdy and plain-speaking Spritzer.

They agree on nothing. Michel insists on the proven old-world champagne-making methods, while Spritzer wants to use modern techniques and shortcuts. Her methods are expensive and Spritzer, who is looking after Belle's investment, wants to save her money, but Belle sides mostly with Michel and insists that the work be done properly, regardless of the cost.

Spritzer fights Michel all the way, but slowly he begins to see the value of her insistence on quality from the expensive barrels she insists on buying, to the type of press needed to carefully crush the delicate grapes.

Spritzer and his girlfriend, Kan, have been friends since they were kids and are in a casual sexual relationship. But with Michel’s arrival, Kan becomes jealous, seeing Michel as a threat to her romantic aspirations.

Nelson is intrigued with Michel and interested in a romantic attachment, pushing hard to win her over. As Spritzer witnesses Nelson’s pursuit, he surprises himself by becoming a little jealous, even though Michel says she has no interest in Nelson.

But the progress in the champagne making is taking longer than expected, with many obstacles to overcome, and the money is running out. To cover their expenses, Michel enters their wine in a prestigious wine contest in San Francisco, hoping that a win will boost the price of their first release.

Unexpectedly, Spritzer’s and Michel’s affection grows during a dance at Belle’s annual harvest festival. They try to deny this attraction but cannot resist the power of their growing love.

Belle suffers a fall that breaks her hip which leads to a slow recovery and the realization of her mortality. She gives up her ceramic work and begins to contemplate her legacy.

The first release of the wine is now ready and they are hoping for success at the wine contest. To their great surprise and delight, their wine wins second place in the sparkling wine division - unheard of in a debut wine. They are suddenly inundated with orders and reporters, but Nelson buys their whole first release at a price way above what they need to keep the new winery solvent, and they can now count on creating a second release

At the end of the second year, Michel’s contract is about up and Spritzer, now very much in love with her, asks her to stay on so they can work and be together. Michel says she must go back to France as she has commitments to her family’s vineyard. But Spritzer says the truth is, that she is afraid of commitment after a disastrous love affair she had in France. However, he is unable to persuade her to stay and she returns to France.

A year later, Spritzer is still devastated, but Belle, wiser in affairs of the heart, has the solution to his loss. She informs Spritzer she is making him a 51% heir to the jug winery and Nelson a 49% heir. And in the champagne winery, she is making him a 49% heir and Michel the 51% heir. She sends Spritzer to France to enter the second release of their champagne in a contest being held where Michel is also entering wine from her family's estate. He shows up, surprising her, and again, to his great delight, his wine wins an award. He and Michel recognize they still love each other and celebrate both his win and their reunion. He then informs her of her inheritance and they must now figure out how to make it all work.