The Tasting (La Dégustation) ★★★

Released: 31 January 2025

Director: Ivan Calbérac

Starring: Isabelle Carré, Bernard Campan, Mounir Amamra, Eric Viellard

When French language, love and wine collide as they do in The Tasting, aka La Dégustation in France, there is bound to be an instant recipe for success! The question is does The Tasting live up to such expectations? Indeed it does as a quaint, light bodied rom-com that is capable of serving up some delicious wines and cute surprise pairings. The Tasting is a simple but charming film with a good bouquet.  It will appeal to Francophiles, wine enthusiasts and fans of rom-coms alike with its French flair.

The Tasting starts its endearing appeal from the outset – there are unfolding scenes of the medieval city of Troyes with sunlit vineyards looking glorious, shots of village life with small buildings and of course, that meet-cute! Hortense (Isabelle Carré) walks into a wine bar to buy a bottle for a dinner and she is impressed by the knowledge of wine merchant Jacques (Bernard Campan), and his penchant for displaying Charles Baudelaire quotes, so much so that she decides to book on to a wine tasting. Thus lies the central premise which sounds simple enough, but The Tasting additionally takes its time to delve into Jacques’ wine world with passion thereby exploring the positives and negatives of a wine fuelled lifestyle, which elevates the film.

Positively, The Tasting positions itself as an encyclopaedia of fine wines and would be a good film to pair with some of those wines that Jacques reels off as recommendations to his customers. It may be worthwhile just taking that moment to press pause, if watching at home, to take note of the delights as there are Grand Cru Bordeaux wines mentioned, rare exquisite Burgundy wines, Pouilly Fussé and more! It is clear that the director delights in portraying the wine making process empathetically, as well as the love of French terroir, as some of these wines are selling for over £400 in the UK, if you can find them! Director Ivan Calbérac savours the wine appreciation with detailed lingering shots of wine-tasting techniques to cater to those who enjoy the sensual, velvety textures of wine.

Based on a 2019 stage play of the same name, which was also written by Calbérac, the dialogue within The Tasting is delightfully witty. The comedic repartees between Hortense and Jacques are amusing yet lack in complexity, although there are fleeting emotional insights into previous heartbreak. Jacques is prone to being grumpy, tell dad jokes and re-uses a 2008 diary whereas Hortense is a church-going woman who buys EUR 55 bottles of wine for a gourmet dinner for the homeless. Predictably, the scene is set for these two disparate characters to enhance each other’s lives over a glass or two of wine due to the encouragement of Jacques’ intern, Steve, who effectively acts in that jester/truthsayer role reminiscent of a Shakespearean play, but with an impeccable nose for detecting wine aromas.

Unfortunately, The Tasting only skims the surface of the midlife reluctance to be vulnerable, that both Hortense and Jacques face, but there are glimpses of reality present as true love doesn’t run smooth for the characters. Still, Calabres’ decision to re-unite Carré and Campian, twenty years after they starred together in Zabou Breitman’s Beautiful Memories, works well as they sparkle onscreen together with captivating performances.  Audiences might find themselves inwardly cringing at some awkward moments of flirtation but, the film opts to deviate from a traditional rom-com scenario with the decision to include realistic, relatable obstacles for the couple.

Despite a relaxed tone, the film races ahead towards its conclusion in its effort to tie up most matters within its 90-minute runtime. This decision may leave audiences feeling dissatisfied as hastily introduced aspects are left unresolved and unexplained.

Fortunately, having the real life setting of the wine bar, Le Cellier St Pierre, might appease audiences and inspire visits to this region outside of Champagne for further explorations of wine as the beautiful colour grading and cinematography are likely to make audiences swoon.

Ultimately, The Tasting is a film that may be also be paired with some good cheese and appreciated for its romantic escapism and impressive wine list. It is a feel-good film overall, made in the way that only a French film could be, and will inevitably leave audiences with a warm glow.  Therefore all that is left to do is to grab a rosé from the Rhône or seek out the film’s recommended Château Margaux 1959 vintage, listen to Petite Fleur and allow yourself to indulge in the magic of The Tasting.