Les Gouttes de Dieu

Sometimes I dive into shows I wouldn't normally pick, and this one on Apple TV caught me by surprise. The cast didn’t initially grab me, and the premise didn’t seem that captivating either. But I thought I'd give it a shot. If the first episode didn’t hook me, I’d move on. Turns out, I ended up thrilled. Based on a Japanese manga, the story follows a young French woman whose estranged father, who had been living in Japan for the last decade, passes away. She travels to Japan for his funeral and discovers that he left behind the world’s largest wine collection. However, to inherit this fortune, she must compete against a young man her father mentored in the art of sommelier. Both are given three challenges to complete, which unfolds beautifully episode by episode. The show takes place in the picturesque vineyards of France and the vibrant streets of Tokyo, making it visually stunning. As the episodes progress, we see the intertwining lives of two individuals brought together by the death of a wine legend. For most of the series, it maintained a solid four-star rating for me, as I watched it with genuine enjoyment and excitement. But it was the finale that truly earned it five stars, surprising me in just the right way. Overall, this has been one of the biggest TV surprises for me in recent years, and it’s a reminder to occasionally go against the grain and try something out of the ordinary. (25/01/2024)