Pinot Noir Taste Off – Episode #221

April 20, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Gary Vaynerchuk and four different wines made from the Pinot Noir grape.

Having trouble seeing this video? Click here for the Quicktime version

168 Responses

April 20, 2007

CW
Mmm wood
April 20, 2007

Dmjperc
Yay!!! Top 2!!!!
April 20, 2007

CW
QOTD: Not very, wasn’t into Cali PN before sideways, although I take most of my queues for living from Hollywoods
April 20, 2007

dude
first top 10!
April 20, 2007

Billy G
I’m not angry at Sideways. It has helped create some great Merlot deals.
April 20, 2007

monrovino
Nice hair Gary! No more Nick Nolte look?
April 20, 2007

Len C
no couch????
April 20, 2007

BCWinesAreIn
comment 7?
April 20, 2007

Kelly
I LOVE PINOT NOIR!!!
April 20, 2007

Brandon M
Pinot Noir is LAME!
April 20, 2007

SteveB
Have fun to Chi-town….
April 20, 2007

JCfromtheWC
Damn! so close to top 10
April 20, 2007

cdavis
Whats so great about top 10? Am I missing something?
April 20, 2007

CW
by 3
April 20, 2007

Fiorentina!
Hey Gary!
Thanks for the Vaniac wrist bands!!!

Top 20! YEA!!!
April 20, 2007

Justmarsh
no wonder you’re not picking up for Lizzie. You’re smelling Cindi Lauper!

QOD: I’m ok with Sideways. Pinot’s just a fad that will pass. I think most people that are influenced by it don’t spend a lot on pinot. Who cares if all the hype leads people to buy $10 pinot? That stuff mostly sucks anyway. Let them buy all that crap! More good stuff for me!!!!
April 20, 2007

Ben N.
I’m going to watch the episode now
April 20, 2007

amgryger
QOTD:

Im pretty neutral about Sideways. Its just a movie.
April 20, 2007

RandyB
Loved the Pinot episode. I have been a long-time fan of California Pinot Noir starting with the Robert Stemmler wines of the 1980’s. I was in Anderson Valley last week. Have you ever been to Boonville? The appelation is still a somewhat hidden gem, but Sideways had its effect on the Pinots coming out of there also. A couple of years ago a great Pinot was only $15-$20. Anderson Valley also produces some very good sauvignon blancs.

Ciao
April 20, 2007

kingfunk
why does paul giamattie (dont know how to spell) always play a depressed loser. He plays it so damn well.
April 20, 2007

Dr. Dan
QOTD: First, Sideways wasn’t that enjoyable of a movie–both of the main characters were largely unlikable. I found myself hoping that they’d expire in a fiery car crash. Second, and more importantly, the movie inflated Pinot Noir prices for those of us that have been long-time fans. If it’s a fad, I hope that it disappears soon. If there is an up-side to this situation, it’s that high Pinot prices have forced me to expand by wine repertoire.
April 20, 2007

RandyB
Hey Brandon M how can you say Pinot is lame? I saw what you are bringing to the SF Party. It wasn’t Syrah.
April 20, 2007

Lb in KS
Bah, ha, ha, ha! Smells like Cindi and tastes like Christina!?! It’ssssssssss FRIDAY!
QOTD: Seen the movie once…had one bottle of Pinot in my life….what’s to be angry at?
April 20, 2007

Autumnfox
QOTD: I have always loved pinot noir. My step father is a native californian and that’s his favorite varietal. Rubbed off I guess. So, I am somewhat angry at Sideways for making the prices jump but then I think of those couple chase scenes, smile(miles), and all is forgiven.
April 20, 2007

bryan
QOTD: I am not really mad at Sideways at all. I enjoy Pinot Noir, but it is far from my favorite varietal. I have been able to find many more good deals on quality Merlot thanks to Sideways though.
April 20, 2007

tim
I realized today, that although I am a huge fan of the show, I do not enjoy it when you wear a suit coat and a fancy new hair cut. Looks a lot more like the old status quo, look at us rich, snobby, important wine people, than someone interested in changing the wine world! That said, nice group of tasting information!
April 20, 2007

Tom T.
Not mad at Sideways at all. I just laugh at the hype and how gullable some people are by believing what they see on the tube. Like others said already it creates better prices for some other grape.
Enjoy Chicago. If I can recommend a place to eat – Harry Caray’s. Good food, atmosphere, and a nice baseball collection.
April 20, 2007

SCATPACK
QOTD: I liked the movie. But it made my favorite wine more expensive. DAMN IT!
April 20, 2007

Lev M.
QOTD: mad at sideways for bashing merlot, but glad that it is cheaper because of it. I used to be mad at sideways for the pinot thing, but then realized that other countries (chile, NZ) will start competing with santa barbara county pinot and it will end up driving the price down everywhere.
April 20, 2007

Matthew L
Gary…come on…you know you and Liz are headed out tonight. Good for you. My wife is on her way to pick me up for a nice evening out.

I was a huge fan of Pinot Noir before Sideways. So much so, that friends were ribbing me when the movie came out. Thanks for the review of the Elke. I think I will add that to my growing cart on WL.

QOTD: I loved Sideways. I think it was a funny movie. Maybe it vexes you because of the questions you field about the varietal, but that is one of the few movies that I actually wanted to own on DVD.

Have a good weekend all. Drink something good. Cheers!
April 20, 2007

Elliot Essman
Yes, thanks for the wrist band. I am not forgetting my part of the bargain. You will get some memorable graphics with it.

Sideways was a boring, tasteless buddy picture, period. You’d have to add a whole lot more to it to make it really be about wine instead of about two crass and unsympathetic buddies. He doesn’t deserve to get the girl in the end.
April 20, 2007

stevo
Christina Aguilera makes another appearance!

QOTD: I’m not angry at Sideways. I like that it brings a wider audience to wine, but at the same time it would also be nice to buy some Oregon Pinot for less than 30 bones.
April 20, 2007

Maria B.
QOTD: never seen Sideways before- perhaps I shall have to watch it this weekend to see what the hype is about. I gotta say, I do enjoy Pinot Noir but it’s not my favorite
April 20, 2007

Portland Guy
Very enjoyable episode. QOTD – ‘Sideways’ proved to be a bummer for me. Took all the fun I once had, drinking wine while chewing gum. The gummy bear replacements just aren’t the same. I know GV would recommend skittles.
April 20, 2007

geespot
Thanks yet again, Gary. Now I HAVE to buy the Elke, don’t I? This show is very detrimental to my wallet, at 25 bones I’ll have to buy a few bottles.

QOD: I’m more mad at Sideways for not being a very good movie than I am for it ruining the price of pinot. Seriously, those guys were losers and I just felt bad for them throughout the entirety of the film.
April 20, 2007

Jim
QOTD: I liked Sideways, but I wasn’t into wines much at all when it came out. I need to go back and rewatch it since I’ll relate to the topic more now. I thought it was good from a movie pov as a buddy flick.
April 20, 2007

Neil
My wife and I love Pinot Noir – it was the red at our wedding in fact. I think Sideways used Pinot as a metaphor for Miles damaged soul: tempramental, fragile, etc. When he was talking about the wine he was actually talking about himself. Before I saw the movie the buzz was Pinot is a main topic, however I was quite surprised how tangential to the plot it really was. And by now everybody is in on the joke that the Chevl Blanc that he had stored away was a Merlot (Cab Franc?) blend.

Regardless, the Pinot mania from the movie did increase prices and the top 50 from Spectator are delicious, hard to find and for better or worse, huge fruit bombs. What’s interesting is that some of the top Pinot’s lean ever so close to morphing into Syrah profile – losing the delicate Pinot charachter in the process. Climate change? Global warming? Aiming for a blessed high R. Parker score to boost profits? Who knows but prices are high, demand is strong and the wines are becoming ever increasingly fruit bombs. As a result California Syrah, Zinfandel and the much maligned Merlot are better bargains right now.
April 20, 2007

StÃ©phane
QOTD: I enjoyed the movie, and really the price increase doesn’t affect me much (especially since Merlots have conversely become cheaper). This is going to sound bad, but I like that the repercussions of Sideways show how shallow the American wine market is. I guess it just gives me one last shard to defend myself with when people mock me for being French.
April 20, 2007

Kevin C.
Another classic reference 1992 McDonald’s fries! Cyndi vs Christina, ummm, one of each ,please, but without Captain Lou!
QOTD – I liked Sideways, haven’t really gotten the Pinot Noir bug so no negative effexts for me. Overall, it was a good laugh and some nice scenery.
April 20, 2007

Spacejay
QOTD – Never watched it. Like what it did to the merlot market.
April 20, 2007

Wave
Yo Gary! It is pronounced ore-gun.Not ory-gone.Great episode but you are making people in the northwest cringe when you speak of the great rain soaked state.
April 20, 2007

Randy
QOD: Never watched Sideways, I’ve been a Cabernet guy for so long, I guess I’d rather lay down a bottle for 10 years and then high-five myself when I open it up and enjoy the velvety goodness.

At the same time, I think with all the attention paid to Pinot Noir because of the movie, a lot of awesome wines are now on the ropes and very affordable. I’m more than happy to snap up cheap-ass Merlot that tastes awesome because nobody wants it, while the lemmings go pay top dollar for Pinot.

Different strokes, really.

Oh, and BTW, my cellar on Cork’d is just barely getting started. I just grabbed a few bottles last night to start it. I have a surprisingly deep cellar (deeper than I suspected).

Now, **RAW** 16 year old girls? Man, that is so dancing on the razors edge…

Hope the Chi-town event goes well, we expect that the SF event will blow it out of the water!
April 20, 2007

kingfunk
pinot noir wonderful, eeehhhh its not that wonderful
April 20, 2007

Greg B.
Ok now we are talking Hollywood. Come on over to the dark side Gary. I’m in LA waiting for ya. Nice job yet again. QOTD- Before Sideways I knew very little about Pinot, but that feels like years ago now. Ya canâ€™t be mad at the Movie, because remember we drink “all wines”. The buzz on Pinot will go away and so will the over pricing. So, in the meantime. Open up some Merlot, I know, I know, No freakin Merlot you say, but just like the stock market or real estate when everybody is out, you should be in.
April 20, 2007

Fiorentina!
Hey Gary!

Thanks again for the wrist bands!
QotD – To be honest, I’m a bit indifferent when it comes to ‘Sideways.’ Sure, it really make Pinot Noir sales sky rocket and took a shot at Merlot sales, but it really gave a boost to the wine industry. Still, don’t worry because Merlot is going to be making a comeback! A book called ‘The Merlot Murders’ has just been released and is being advertised as the next ‘Sideways.’
1992 called and said that Merlot is back in the game!
April 20, 2007

Andrew
I loved Sideways, I was already into Pinot before the film but it made it fun to talk to people about it as it became more popular. Anything that gets more people into wine is cool. PLus I love the total irreverance of drinking a ‘61 Cheval Blanc in a diner from a styrophone cup! Top notch baby!!
April 20, 2007

Tahmedee
Exactly how do you know what Christina Aguilera tastes like? I’d love to hear that story sometime.
April 20, 2007

JumboJ
Can’t say i don’t like pinot noir… but the price tag on them makes me pazzz everytime. They aren’t very reliable wines either.
QODT: Not that angry at all. I thought the movie was funny.
April 20, 2007

KenP
QOTD: I loved the movie Sideways. One of my favs. Went for a bike race last year near Buellton. Stayed at the Windmill. Odd little town.
April 20, 2007

waibeans
ello guvnah!

beware of the Vay Ner Chuck Norris!!!
April 20, 2007

Winodontist
Enjoyed the episode. I have been drinking tons of Pinot Noirs in the last year and anybody who says they suck or are lame just has not tried the right ones. I used to think they were just watered down, funky tasting wines, but no more.

QOTD: I am glad Sideways hyped Pinot, before that I had not been drinking any good ones and it opened my eyes. Bummer on the price elevation though.

Enjoy Chicago, eat at Frontera grill for the best gourmet Mexican in a nice atmosphere.
April 20, 2007

waibeans
QOD wasn’t into wine when I first saw sideways, although I did come to share Mile’s sentiment towards merlot.. fancy that.
April 20, 2007

GottaGoDrink
QOTD- I still can’t figure out how a basically depressing movie with unlikeable characters sparked such an interest in Pinot. My buddy keeps trying Pinot on me because he loves the stuff, but I’ve liked maybe one of the dozen or two I’ve tried. Anyway, it’s too bad it raised the price for all the old time Pinot drinkers.
April 20, 2007

mbannon
Not angry at Sideways at all (loved the movie). It forced me to move on to other types of wine. I’ll come back to Pinot after the hype dies down. Or rather, after the hype moves on to another varietal.
April 20, 2007

FTboomer
Hated the movie. Can’t wait to hear & read about the Chicago dinner\tasting.
April 20, 2007

NewbNamedRay
What’s with that Cubs logo?
Cuck the Fubs!
Go White Sox!
April 20, 2007

TagWorld Brian
I loved Sideways. I saw it before I was into wine, so I can’t speak to the price increase issue. But it definitely inspired me. And it’s just a fun, breezy movie to watch. (By contrast, if you want to see a crapola wine movie, check out “Year of the Comet” from 1992. I taped it by accident and watched it last night. I’m sure you can find it on Netflix and IMDB.)

Another thing: words gets around blindingly fast on the Internet these days. People learn quickly about good wines. So I’m sure that Pinot Noir varietals would have become more popular anyway, because they can be great and they deserve the attention. Sideways surely helped, but I think it helped across the board. From everything I’ve read and heard, wine popularity in general has exploded in the US over the past 5 years. A rising tide lifts all boats. Yeah, maybe that raised some prices, but it has probably also helped more people get access to many more types of wines than before. So it’s all good.

BTW, had a Duckhorn Goldeneye Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2004 the other night. Wow! Before that, I hadn’t really given thought to the Anderson Valley, but I’m singing a different tune now.

Pinot is keen-o.
April 20, 2007

KenP
Here’s a great site to well illustrate TagWorld Brian’s #57 post: http://www.winesciencenews.com
April 20, 2007

E
I’m not mad, except for the fact that it really made me want to go have a glass
April 20, 2007

TagWorld Brian
Also, an interesting factoid that I learned this week. I didn’t realize there’s a difference between the words varietal and variety. “Variety” is a noun, it describes a type of grape: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Merlot, etc. “Varietal” is an adjective; it describes a wine that is made from the particular variety. So Elke is a varietal, made from the Pinot Noir variety. Confusing? I dunno. Just thought I’d share.
April 20, 2007

TagWorld Brian
KenP, thanks for the link BTW. I’m going to geek out on that site, soon as I get some downtime.
April 20, 2007

LPapi
Like a good Pinot… try Jeff Fink’s Tantara… from Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Barbara County mmmm delissh… However thanks to hollywood it has gone up to a point where it’s no longer a bargain. They make a killer Chardonnay too…

QOTD: I’m going to take Sideways as a life lesson. With Hollywood, you kind of have to play a guessing game. Take this scenario:
If Hollywood is filming a movie with an influencial actor.. Lets say Al Pacino. Movie takes place or revolves around vineyards and wine. Then he mentions his favorite wine is Rioja and how he hates Tempranillo. If the movie is a hit, guess what.. prices will take the symmetrical direction of his character’s “fictional review/enjoyment”. I guess the lesson is to watch or guess if the next wine movie will be a hit, then pay attention to the main character’s current obsession and buy as much of it as you can before prices skyrocket. (I’m pretty sure there wont be another Sideways type of influence through Hollywood though)
April 20, 2007

LPapi
New Gravatar!!!
April 20, 2007

LPapi
Oops! here we go.. New Gravatar!!!
April 20, 2007

flavasauce
My girlfriend is taping the Oprah Winfrey show today! She just IMed me that she just met oprah!!! OK I know it’s off topic just had to share. Her company is sponsering the Greenfest there so all you Vaniacs in Chicago should check it out this weekend. (And say hi to my gf at the sustainlane booth. She’s the Brazilian girl with the curly hair.) Also there’s tons of organic wine producers giving free tastings.
April 20, 2007

LPapi
not working… my gravatar…
April 20, 2007

brooklyni
QOTD: I’m not necessarily angry at sideways at all. I’m angry at a lot of people who went out and bought anything with “pinot noir” on the label and drove prices up. so many people are so scared to think for themselves, in life and in wine. so, they see this movie and then went nuts over california pinot noir. oh well. more inexpensive other wines for me.
April 20, 2007

UncleJosh
Maybe, just maybe, I like Sideways because it made everyone hate Merlot, a grape I like very much.
April 20, 2007

aktormedic
For the love of God man…you have to try some Burgundy you LIKE on this show!! QOTD: Sideways was just ok…guess I am not a middle aged single guy, which is what the movie seemed geared towards. I do hate that it has created this price inequity in PN, and encouraged the planting of this wine everywhere, even where it tastes more like Syrah than Pinot, and then charging 50 bucks as the price of admission!!
April 20, 2007

KenP
LPapi #62, the problem is that Cal. merlot is often some of the most awful stuff, imho. I’m glad it got slammed. Be that as it may, be aware that the Cheval Blanc vineyards, in addition to growing cabernet franc, also grow merlot! Perhaps as much as third. I’m not sure of the ‘61 Cheval Blanc Miles drank in the film, but I am fairly confident it contained merlot.
April 20, 2007

flavasauce
QOTD: Loved Sideways! Who cares about the “effect” at least it exposed more people to wine and it was funny as hell!
April 20, 2007

Harley Stan
Since there is no couch today, I will take one for the team and flop on the couch and drink wine for the evening.
QOTD- I have mixed feelings on the movie, I was not really into wine until I saw it. Now, I am drinking one to two bottles a week sittinig in front of a computer monitor everyday wearing a wrist band. Actually, I enjoyed the movie because it introduced me to a whole new world, I have been trying everything not just pinot.
April 20, 2007

WINO
PLEASE CALL YOUR WIFE!!!!!!

QOTD- Not mad at Sideways. Liked the movie and the Pinot Noirs that I normally buy (Farallon and Cartlidge & Brown) have not really gone up in price.
April 20, 2007

hossgeek
Harley Stan gets it. Sideways with a little bit of movie and a lot of us changed the wine world, didn’t it.
April 20, 2007

JHollo77
Yeah, Chehalem! Just had that the other night and loved it… Oregon pinots are awesome.

QOTD: Loved it. No anger whatsover.

I’m glad someone corrected you on the Ory-gone pronunciation… Those of us in Or-i-gun appreciate it.

Loved the McD reference… Have fun in Chicago!
April 20, 2007

Dom
Wowwww, great show featuring my fav varietal. It doesn’t get any better than a good pinot noir. And since I belong to the Oregon Pinot Noir Club, I assumed you would like the Chehalem.

QOTD: I loved pinot noir before Sideways and knew a good thing when I had it and after the movie all I could say was “told ya so.” Plus, it gave me an opportunity to take the Sideways tour last fall. Santa Barbara, now there’s a nice place to live.

TGIF

Have fun in Chitown.
April 20, 2007

mas
I didn’t even know Australia made Pinot – I know they make everything, but that must be the first one I saw …

QOTD: Loved Sideways – esp. that scene tasting at Sanford – Gary, ever taste wine chewing gum?!? And I’m sure that Cheval Blanc tasted like sweaty socks, given where he was storing it …
April 20, 2007

GeneV
Great episode and great QOTD. I love the movie Sideways, but I do hate what it has done to Pinot. I am now having to abandon winery lists because their prices are now out the the league I can drink often.

The difference between the first and second wines sounds very much like the difference in the two vintages from my tasting. 2004 is the big fruit year, and 2005 is the Burgundian year.
April 20, 2007

dublin
WOW, I feel as though my suggestion comment a few weeks ago came through. I loved the show today Gary and I’m jealous you’re in Shytown without me, love that town. It’s my kind of…sorry Frank had to do it. Pinot baby, can’t get enough of it. Just wish I could afford the ‘really’ good ones, like Sea Smoke 10 or Kistler, or the grand daddy Marcassin. But I make do with the moderate one’s, get a stinker here and there but then I get surprised by a $24 one just the same so it evens out.
QOTD: Personally I think Sideways is a pretty funny movie. Now did it inflate Pinot prices and crash the Merlot market, probably some yes, but I think that wine in general has been on the rise in the U.S. and that we would have seen this inflation regardless. I just loved the fact that Miles slammed Merlot the whole movie and in the end drank the worlds best Merlot. Wonder if that was done on purpose, inside joke, or the script writer really didn’t know his wine?
Cheers, time to open a Siduri Pinot.
April 20, 2007

Dave-from-Katonah
GV-another great ep. I knew you wouldn’t leave us without an ep.

Sorry I’m late tonight, I was playing my first round of golf for the year.
Nuthing left to do but taste some wine – I know, maybe a Pinot Noir would be nice after I finish this Gravity Hills Zin…

QOTD – I have already forgiven Sideways many times over. I do not appreciate the price hike in PN, but Patty Green PN is seriously delicious PN and then there’s always NZ PN…

Have a great trip to ChiTown. Don’t forget to get some good deep dish pizza, and some garlicky pickles and kielbossa!
April 20, 2007

Badger Ann
QOTD: Sideways didn’t affect my opinion of Pinot Noir or Merlot one way or the other. I do like Pinot Noir, and this is one wine where I will pay attention to ratings, as I have had erratic luck with finding bottles that I enjoy. I’ve never really been a Merlot fan, except when used for blending.

The movie was good, but the two main characters were pretty pathetic. I took more than a little satisfaction in watching Sandra Oh beat Thomas Hayden Church to a pulp with here motorcycle helmet!
April 20, 2007

dave from Osaka (thunderball)
QOTD: Mad at a movie? Hell no. I imagine that any ‘negative’ effects that may have come from that movie are the fault of the people who watched it and let themselves be swayed…I thought it was a great show.
April 20, 2007

Dave-from-Katonah
Gary – can u do an entire show on just Burgundy?? I can’t recall a single one you’ve liked…surely there must be 3 or 4??
April 20, 2007

JustinL
I’m very happy that you liked the Anderson Valley Pinot the best. That’s a seriously underrated region for Pinot Noir (and wine in general).

QOTD: not mad at Sideways. I AM mad at all of these wine posers who have flocked to Pinot Noir because of an insufferable wine snob like Miles.
April 20, 2007

JonE
QOTD: You’re so totally right Gary! Who would’ve thought Sandra Oh would have landed such a sweet role on Grey’s Anatomy, while Paul Giamatti has been almost completely forgot about. So right G-Man, there’s no justice in the world.
But in all truth if domestic Pinot prices hadn’t sored, those of us who were already fans of Pinot would still be bitching about the price of grand crus, Grivot, Roumier and the like. The only difference now is that we have something to complain about more close to home.
April 20, 2007

CC_HTown
Another great show, G.

QOTD: I know its embarassing, but my wife and I just watched Sideways a month ago. We really liked it. I am not mad at the movie. Times change, fads change, and so the story goes.

For your next episode, try and spike your hair up a tad with some pommade. Lose the snowski ramp on the top of your forehead.
April 20, 2007

Edward Hafer
Fantastic Show!

QOTD: Sideways pushed the prices of pinot up, but other wine (merlot) are now better QPRs. In addition, some very dedicated people who developed pinot noir viniculture in the United States were justly rewarded.
April 20, 2007

KenP
A bit of background: http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,,1403395,00.html
April 20, 2007

Jim in Atlanta
I am very mad at Sideways because I have loved pinot for quite a while. But it was a good movie. Thanks for talking about pinot again, and including Anderson valley. I like to visit Anderson valley and especially enjoy wines from Navarro. Keep up the good work!!
April 20, 2007

Scott S.
Hi Gary, been a while for me to comment so here your go. Have been a Pinot Noir fan so many years I can’t remember when I experienced the first bottle. You know ” The Holy Grail” is truly Pinot Noir no matter what Davinci Code suggest. When a Pinot vintage is good it is as we all know “Liquid silk”. When a vintage is off the stuff is un-drinkable. This is the true pleasure of this most difficult grape. Vineyard manager and Wine makers hate it and love it. So do I.

QOTD: As for Sideways, excellent movie, but it put the spot light on a very complex and refined wine that obviously hammered the QPR but may have introduces people who otherwise may not have tried it. Not drinking much anymore to expensive. Spening much my time with Spanish red, QPR!. Please tell there is not a movie in the works. Last, enjoy Chicago, eat and Charlie Trotters!
April 20, 2007

Matt the Lurker
QOTD – Talk about changing the wine world… Sideways and 2 Buck Chuck changed the industry nearly overnight. Loved the movie, but what it did for me was got me to rediscover merlot. I’ll drink pinot 10 years from now when everyone is calling it a has been fad.
April 20, 2007

Tom N., Soo, ON
Nice Video Gary,
My favorite variety and my tastes go from burgundy to big CA pinots so you could call me an equal opportunity drinker. Black pepper! How unusual for pinot! I usually get that from syrahs.

QOTD: I liked Sideways a lot. I was a pinotphile before the movie so it only deepened my interest. A bit perturbed by the price increases perhaps, but since my tastes and Miles are similar I could identify with his palate preferences.
April 20, 2007

3dvw
QOTD: I loved the first hour it was fun. The second half made me really mad.

Love pinot but not to into most california pinot too high alcohol.
April 20, 2007

MzTeaze
Interesting review – I was intrigued by the last wine…will be trolling WL for it.

QOTD – I can’t be mad at Sideways, it made me look at wine and tastings in a different way. Just hate that they drove the price up on great wines.
April 20, 2007

wildebeest
QOTD: Miles is my hero Seriously, I’m a fan of the movie, and though it’s had it’s popularity has had its drawbacks, I think it’s given the wine industry a boost overall.
April 20, 2007

wm mole
Ah, you know how Miles is! He’s probably on WL staff pushin burgundy futures.
Keep the Cal/Ore/NZ Pinot bargains coming GV!!!!!
Loved the movie!
April 20, 2007

wm mole
Also, thanks GV for the wake up call, to all the other great wines of the world.
April 21, 2007

Garret Nagle
I’m generally indifferent to the issue of Sideways, because it came out before I was 21, and had not been introduced to this varietal at that point, although I was allready a Sangiovese and Cabernet fan by 19.

Truthfully, it’s a silly movie that isn’t worth watching, but I have eaten at the Hitching Post, and I plan on posting a review of it in the forums,

If you read my e-mail about the Cabernet Sauvignon / Terroir show idea, it seems like we were thinking similarly yesterday, although you recorded today’s show before I sent out the e-mail. On second thought, it might be too hard to compare the varietal’s different characteristics based upon terroir, because every winemaker tends to craft his wine into his own style. Maybe it’s too hard to try and compare the terroir variances? For example, if a bordeaux turns out to be very new world in style, it might defeat the whole idea of trying to taste how the region of Bordeaux affects the flavour profile of cab as compared to Napa, etc.

Let me know what you think

Garret
April 21, 2007

Neurodoc
Question 1: Do you taste pinot noir with a Bordeaux glass? I usually use a pinot noir glass.

QOTD: I think Sideways has gotten many on the Pinot Noir bandwagon, including me.

Comment 1: I wouldn’t like to smell Cindi Lauper, but I would love to taste Christina Aguilera.
April 21, 2007

jonomck
JUST GOT HOME- CHICAGO TASTING ROCKED AND BROUGHT THE THUNDER!!! GARY HELD A KICK ASS TASTING AND BROUGHT A PHILLIP TOGNI!! CHICAGOANS ROCKED AND BROUGHT A MOUNTIAN OF GREAT WINES. OH, AND ASK GARY ABOUT THE 2 OF CLUBS…………..
April 21, 2007

Darlene O.
Great episode, Gary. QOD: The movie was entertaining and, I must say, made me more aware of and begin to taste more Pinots, which, interestingly enough, had me find that I’m not necessarily a big Pinot fan. Maybe I just need to taste more Pinots.
April 21, 2007

KenP
Garret Nagle,
I’ve two books to recommend: Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine and The New France, by Andrew Jefford.

Rethink Sideways at 30.
April 21, 2007

nougat
old fingernails? That’s the new “cat pee” right?

Sideways was great. Pinot noir; not so much.
April 21, 2007

C-BusWineMofo
Love the theme of this show and I hope everyone is having a blast at the Chi-Town party.

QOTD- Sideways, movie good, book even better. If you thought the movie was ok please read the book it will change your option I promise you. Remember that Merlot prices went down because of the movie so thank them if your a Merlot fan. I love Merlot and Pinot so good put that in your pipe and smoke it.
April 21, 2007

wm mole
Having played the Alisal River Course during off hours when the wind was up, I was alerted to the unseemly level of play exhibited by the lowly characters in the movie “sideways” screwing things up in general. OMG! Their disgusting behavior and consequent rise in value of “terroir/hollywood” pinot, has me reaching for a $9 Robert Parker 90 Merlot! Sorry Miles, but it’s all your fault!! Ha!
No way, Santa Rita and Sideways rock!!!!!!!!!!
April 21, 2007

Panoca
QOTD: I love Sideways!! one of my favs. I wasn’t into wines when i watched it, and i easily thought it was one of the best movies of the year. I ‘m a huge fan of the director, Alexander Payne, i’m really into movies, and Sideways is his Masterpiece.
Great episode gary!
April 21, 2007

Bobinnati
As usual, interesting episode. I have not had a lot of Pinot Noir in the past, but plan to try more in the interest of expanding my range of experience.

QOTD – I am not a big movie guy (just don’t have the time), but oddly enough, the Sideways DVD is sitting on my kitchen table right now waiting for me to watch it. (In agreement with Comment 102, my son says the book is WAY better than the movie, but I haven’t read the book either.) Since I am not a PN addict, the rise in prices doesn’t really annoy me, so no reason to hate the movie.
April 21, 2007

Lars
Hey, Wine Guy!!! The camera’s over here!!! This episode was like being on a date with a gal who is constantly thinking about her ex-boyfriend. But, we do understand. Yer a busy man. Thank for doin’ the episode.

QOTD: No position. Kinda really getting into Shiraz right now.
April 21, 2007

tarheel17
QOTD: I thought it was more of a ‘guy’ movie than anything, though I suppose I can appreciate where some of the characters are coming from. . .OK, maybe the only thing I understaood was the guilt of robbing your mother for cash.
I also don’t hate the movie because I love Merlot, and I love less expensive Merlot all the better! Hope CHicago was a blast, and if you ever make it to the West Coast some time, I’m there.
April 21, 2007

KenP
Lars #106,
No position? Too sleepy curled up in the bear skin rug? Wine is not Soma.
Actors…can’t live with them, can’t live without them… well, just maybe.
April 21, 2007

KenP
tarheel17,
Check out the WLTV Meets Forum page. Gary is coming to San Francisco of the 31st of May. And you…?
April 21, 2007

tomavino
QOTD: Sideways didn’t ruin Pinot for me, Burgandy did way before them when they hiked their prices beyond what I can afford. Long live the CA Cabs and Zins.
April 21, 2007

KC Dan
Great ep Gman I’ll try to seek out the elke PN . Smells like cindy Taste like cristina , Awesome !!!
April 21, 2007

Bill V.
Hey, KenP, no fair!
Leave Lars alone!
He’s my friend!
April 21, 2007

Bill V.
Thank you, THANK YOU, one and all at WLTV — I just received my SECOND Vayniacs Wrist Band!
Now, at last, I can ward off them flyin’ corks like a true SuperHero!
Bill V.
April 21, 2007

Bill V.
QOTD: Both “Sideways” and Pinot Noir are on my list of things to experience for the first time.
Anticipation is a good thing!
Bill V.
April 21, 2007

glenn
love the flick, loved the book 1st. dude, you know i am riding my Harley up to The Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival in less than a month. what a w/e that will be! gibe The Savoy Vineyard its props; perhaps the finest PN field in our great nation.
April 21, 2007

TSchampaert
Hey, great. Pity the Rion did not liven up to your expects. Now, I dunno with Rion: his Chambolles are not my cup of tea exactly. It’s seems, to me (saying that again, I am in no way an expert on this) that he isn’t really able to master the elegance this terroir or climat provides. I’d rather have one of his Vosnes or Gevreys.
QOTD: Was quite dissappointed with it. Had expected much more. Good road movie however, but sometimes a bit dull and superfluous. Yet, I loved the wine geek wink with the Cheval Blanc in the MacD. No Merlot … you bet ! Dunno anything about the impact: Burgundy has always been expensive and no real QPR-breed. About the Oregons I dunno. Had some and liked them quite much. Yet NZ pinot is to me just IT. Love Seresin!
C ya.
April 21, 2007

wannaBconnoisseur
QOTD: Always been a Pinot fan……long before that stupid movie came out.
April 21, 2007

ChrisR
QOD: Loved Sideways. Hate the price increase but LOVE that Sideways now gives me more distribution of Pinot Noir. Let’s be honest, before Sideways the Pinot Noir section in the wine stores was pretty weak. Now its a lot more vast. So for that I’m thankful that Hollywood has helped. It has also helped propel the interest in wine which leads to more consumption and availablitity. It is good thing.
April 21, 2007

Malarkey
qotd: loved the movie Sideways. Why? Because it’s not formula. Characters are imperfect, just like real life. imagine that!

Are you dining at Alinea while in Chicago??
April 21, 2007

Adam from Denmark
QOTD: have seen the movie many times, always with a glass of wine by my side. Can’t be mad at a movie for saying whats right. Merlot sucks! It really does (in that lower price range), and pinot noir based wines can be what miles says they can.
Prices going up on pinots from california is not really an issue for me, since we don’t get them as much in Denmark.
April 21, 2007

thkorent
Qotd: I don’t know, Sideways didn’t seem to affect the wine world so much over here, in Europe.
I really like both, Merlots and Pinot Noirs and if anything, then their prices have changed very little. I found it was a funny movie!
April 21, 2007

JCfromtheWC
QOTD – nothing wrong with Sideways. I think it has really helped expand the American palate. Prior to Sideways, everybody was drinking cheap (and lets be honest) in many cases not so great merlot. Now they are just drinking not so great pinot, but I think one could make an argument that Pinot Noir is a bit more sophisticated of a grape in many cases. (Note: I like Merlot. I have respect for Merlot. I’ve also had a lot of VERY basic, artificial tasting Merlot’s in the $10 range) And even if you disagree with that, change is good.
April 21, 2007

poquelin
I love Sideways. A great buddy, road movie. Giamatti’s character is not to be taken seriously in his love of pinot and hatred of merlot. The proof: the great 61 Cheval Blanc that he drinks alone towards the end is merlot-based. It’s all a big joke. People who know nothing about wines may not have gotten this subtlety
April 21, 2007

SoCal
G,
Hope you had fun in Chi-town.
QOTD: I was mad at sideways because I thought there would be more about wine and less about infidelity.
April 21, 2007

SacramentoCharlie
QOTD: Loved the movie regardless. I love the irony of Miles being an expert at wine and terrible with women. Jack is skilled with women and knows nothing of wine. Both continually try to impart their wisdoms in these areas to each other to no avail.
April 21, 2007

aaronT
QOTD: Mad at Sideways? Nah, gets people excited about a varietal I’m happy to see a lot of focus on. Mad at you for outing Elke? Maybe, we thought that was our little secret and now > one hundred billion vayniaks > know about it. If Elke goes up in price now, I’m sending you a bill!

Maybe we’ll follow your request to drink a fantastic bottle of wine this weekend by opening the ‘01 Elke Pinot…
April 21, 2007

Kevin
Hmmmm Sideways. Angry how it raised the prices on Pinot Noir. Don’t forget, however, it may have lowered to price on some excellent merlots at the same time!
April 21, 2007

Canada Pete
QOTD. Sideways allowed me to go out and try many pinot’s all over the price range, which allowed me to conclude, it is a dramatically overpriced and hyped grape!! Lots of good vino, but way more average tasting stuff, and hell there’s a whole lot better value out there.
April 22, 2007

Robin
I loved Sideways, but it spawned a jillion cheap $20.00 and under pinots. Now I don’t even know what pinot is really supposed to taste like. Waterered down cherry juice is the most frequent version I see.
April 22, 2007

YoungDave
QOTD: Ok. “Sideways”: Good movie (not spectacular, but pretty good), and I think Paul Giamatti is an extremely talented actor. HOWEVER, I’m a little upset about how it has changed the wine market. I was not a huge wine fan before the movie, but it wasn’t the movie that turned me on to wine. I’m upset that it is impossible to find a decent Pinot Noir (regardless of where it is produced) in the U.S. in the $10-$12 range since the popularity of that movie, and what ticks me off even more is that even the Pinots in the low teens from CA can be rediculously over-rated. What’s MORE is that the varietal is being made (mostly in CA) completely out of character, being more of a fruit bomb than the elegant wine that Pinot should be.

BUT what pisses me off the most is that there are more people now than ever in the US that think they know so much about wine after seeing the movie, and think that they are connosseirs just because they order a Pinot. Obviously I’m talking about my customers at the restaurant, but it’s annoying. The worst thing is probably that so many of these Pinot-loving connoisseurs turn their nose up at Merlot with no reason to back it up. Honestly- I’m not a huge Merlot fan, mostly because there are a lot of watery, seemingly tanninless Merlots made from CA these days. BUT I’ve also had a few really good Merlots and Cab-Merlot blends that have a great balance of fruit and tannin structure with that great chocolate undercurrent.

I guess that overall I’m glad that some people have become more interested in wine after watching the movie, but I’m upset that the U.S. market has been thrown off kilter because of it.
April 22, 2007

carbon60
Fix up, look sharp!

QOTD: It was such a funny movie. A grown man throws a fit in a parking lot because he might be served merlot. It’s not like he’s being forced to eat at Casa Bonita (Colorado reference). And if his childish ouburst is not enough indication to the audience that the whole thing is just funny, the guy also steals from his mother to be there in the first place. Comic gold with little didactic tendency. Who takes that guy’s advice? (A lot of people, I suppose.)
April 22, 2007

Vinacull
Yeah Gary lookin’ sharp with the haircut and fancy threads. Nice surprise for a Friday Ep. Gary I can’t tell anymore if you’re parody’ing yourself relative to the Vayniac vids! 1992 Macdonald’s fries before they changed the formula combined with the smell of a hundred pushups? Campbell’s chicken soup broth with fingernails? I half-expected to hear you pulling out the pickles and cat pee smells for Pinot next. And wow pretty racy with the Christina comment! QOTD: Not angry, but it is a drag when prices go up because people became aware of this exciting “new” discovery Pinot Noir, and prices were already challenging for the fickle varietal before that. Chehalem is a prime example, and I can say this because I lived in Portland for a few years and we drank a ton of Pinot while there. Is it a nicely made Pinot with great mouthfeel? Yes. But most places it’s 40 bones and I just don’t see it as a worthwhile QPR. I’d rather buy the Elke at 25 (based on your description) or even two bottles of grenache and/or shiraz at half the price that have the same score and overall are more satisfying.
April 22, 2007

winefornewbies
Great show, Gary (I’m playing major catch-up on your shows this weekend). 1992 McDonald’s french fries?

QOTD: Loved the movie, not for its wine-stuff, but for its story and characters. Was drinking PN before the film, but not angry with the increased PN popularity–seems we have more Pinots to pick from these days!
April 22, 2007

Trish da' Dish
I was gifted with the Sideways book and movie, and I whole-heartedly agree with #104: If you enjoyed the movie, you will likely LOVE the book. And if you hated the movie, I really feel that you will still enjoy the book. The book is well-written, and it provides a lot more details about the store wine tasting experiences that one can have/witness/be a part of (Gary: Here’s a good QOD for you–What’s the CRAZIEST behavior or thing that you ever saw (or did! when you attended a wine tasting? . When you get a clutch of folks around a table of free wine, especially when those wines are expensive, some strange stuff can happen. I know that here in St. Louis when we still had a Brown Derby wine store, there was a guy who would come in to the wine store, get a Riedel glass off the shelf, purchase it at the counter, and then go to the tasting table, taste his free wines, and leave his paid-for Riedel glass behind! Every single time!

In closing: You should “seek out” Sideways: A Novel.
Get it at the library so that you don’t have to pay anything. Here are some reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/Sideways-Novel-Rex-Pickett/dp/0312342519/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/102-6791406-6666569?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1177249015&sr=8-2

Also, for people who were offended by the 2 main characters–if we never see movies that contain characters whom we don’t like, and if we never read any literature that makes us sometimes violently disagree with the author, then where will this eventually lead us? To me, this would be utter boredom. In real life, I wouldn’t be befriending Miles and his best friend, but on the other hand it is true that there really are guys out there who are acting just like each of those 2 characters.
April 22, 2007

Shotgun
I love California pinot, esp Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands, and Santa Rita Hills. I also love Merlot. I love red Burgundies, but hate the rip-off pricing.

I hated Sideways not because of anything it did or did not do to the wine market, but because it was such a dreadfully horrible movie. I could only get about 45 minutes into it before having to switch to the BASS Pro Shopping Network or something similar that was far more entertaining.
April 22, 2007

JayZee
QOTD: OK, how can I be angry at a movie? I rather liked Sideways when I saw it. I mean, come on. Virginia Madsen is rather alluring, don’t you think? Do I like that Sideways made Pinot Noir the hot varietal and hurt Merlot sales? Well, no. But I am not angry at a movie. That’s just irrational.
April 23, 2007

tomavino
Opened a special bottle this weekend after all, not the 1973 MadDog 20/20. Actually opened two great wines, Viking Vouvray Cuvee Aurelie 2002, great white, out of this world, highly recommended if you like intense, heavy honey toned whites. Supposed to be Chenin Blanc, but you can never tell with the French. The other bottle just blew me away, 2004 El Nido Clio, WOW! Go find it, for $34 there is nothing like it. That has to be one of the most enjoyable wines I had in years. The bouquet is so good, that you just want to sit there just smelling the glass for a while, and is followed throughout the taste, mid-palate and finish.
April 23, 2007

Jon B
QOTD: “Sideways” was a bit too depressing for me. Kind of a bad dream and I wanted to wake up. Cheval-Blanc from a paper cup, spooky! Enjoyed all the wine references, however, especially his monologue on what Pinot means to him. That was the “changing the wine world” moment.

There is no question it had an effect on the wine world. One winery was VERY happy that they had just purchased a huge Monterrey Pinot vineyard, and they are taking advantage of the opportunity big time.

Remember that Pinot was already pretty pricy before the movie. You were lucky to get a decent representative below $20. Now there are more choices on the market, and some great Central Coast producers from Santa Barbara County and Paso are finally getting some of the recognition they deserve. Check out graperadio.com and their archive for Pinot Days a couple of months ago.

Merlot needed a gut-check. Too many people were producing something red in a bottle and labeling it Merlot because they knew it would sell. It was giving a bad name to the most excellent CA producers, like Pride and Duckhorn.
April 23, 2007

wayno da wino
Gary, Mooooocho Thanks for a Pinot Noir
(my favorite since da mid 80’s) Episode!!
I slobbered allover myself watchin’ ya
down dose gems!!

QOTD: I was in a panic at first when Sideways
came out. But all-in-all it hasn’t affected
my Pinot allocation/consumption as I thought
it might.
April 23, 2007

Chris D.
How could anyone get mad at Paul Giamatti???
“If anyone orders merlot I’m leaving. I am not drinking any F$@*ing merlot!”

Check him out in Cinderella Man and The Illusionist.
April 23, 2007

Jen
QOTD: I love “Sideways”, for all reasons: one because it was a great movie, two because it got me thinking about wine in a way I never had before. It increased my interest and my curiosity; not just for pinot, but for all wine, and especially for exploring more of the beautiful state in which I live (CA, peeps..!) and I have learned and experienced so much since then. Sure, it’s Hollywood, but how could it possibly have ruined anything for anybody?? I thought we were here to CHANGE THE WINE WORLD! Aren’t we?!?! It’s my way of thinking that to say the movie ruined pinot noir is to maintain an elitist attitude about wine. No way, man. If you love it, you love it. Period! There’s room for everyone. Thanks for doing this episode, Gary.
April 23, 2007

Jen
Plus, I did that scene from “Sideways” [between Miles and Maya] in my acting class… and it was AWESOME. [Patting myself on the back...] Ha ha ha!! And, ps I didn’t read any of the other comments before I posted, but yeah, I guess if it drove the prices up then yes, that would be a reason it ruined pinot… but pinot is so gooooood… isn’t it worth it? Besides, everything costs more these days. I just paid $3.45 a gallon for gasoline…. disgusting! Pinot is much more useful.
April 23, 2007

thabeav
Gary,

Two quick questions:

1)Could you stop abusing the wines? Watching you use $50+ wine to wash your glass hurts me. Some of us po’ folk use water to rinse our glasses. Your flippant wasting of great juice makes me wonder: are there Vayniaks who hangout outside your store to get the “crumbs” left after the episode?

2)What’s up with your scoring system? In recent epsiode, you described a wine as “boring” and “average,” yet gave it 86 points?! Shouldn’t average, much less boring, get around 75 points? You seem to have a disproportionate number of scores from 86-91 points.

3) WHY would you leave pinot open for nine hours??? Syrah, I get, but Pinot?

Regardless, you have the best blog on the net and EVERY episode is fun, education, and entertaining. Our entire research lab now gathers at lunch to watch each day’s episode at my computer. Congratulations on a great show. We love it!

QOTD: Sideways will always be tainted by the scene of the LARGE NAKED MAN running down the street.
April 23, 2007

Lawrence Leichtman
This episode was so timely as we are headed to Willamette Valley tomorrow and Chehalem is on our list of places to go. Somewhat hard to follow the smell comment of old fingernails and Cyndi Lauper though I have some idea of what Chrisitina Aguillera smells like but don’t know why.

Sideways was a fun movie except for trashing Merlot that can be a great wine (inlcuding his horded Cheval Blanc) and pushing the price up on Pinot Noir and forcing the producers to make wine that violates what he espouses of a delicate wine.
April 23, 2007

Tony S.
Nice…well…Pinot’s are my favorite. In fact, if I had to only drink one kind of wine for the rest of my life, it would be Burgundy. As for the movie, I thought it was entertaining, and when I saw it, I knew right away that PN was going to become bigger and Merlots were going to slump. But that’s just what happens with movies.

So, I guess you could say I just expected that to happen, and so I wasn’t really mad. I didn’t LOVE the movie, it was alright. But, my wife used to love Merlot, and after that movie she has a stigma about it. It’s kind of funny.

OK…enjoy Chicago while you’re here. Go to Weiner Circle and get yourself a hot dog with everything on it–they go great with Vega Sicilia “Unico”, and then go to Lou Malnatti’s and get some deep dish pizza.

OK…see you later,
Go BEARS!!
T
April 23, 2007

Photo Joe
I’m actually a big fan of Sideways, because as a new comer (who now works in a retail store selling wine), I found the movie to be great, because it made me feel closer to the wine world, but now that I know what I’m talking about (for the most part)in my store, I find it disturbing that my favorite piont noirs are going up out of my price range. We had to pass on some great Pinot Noir this year, like Carr, because of the price increase. This is really upsetting, because I just started experiencing Pinot Noirs that are huge in tannins and greatly balanced and full bodied! Pinot Noirs are not my favorite, but they could be, if I could experiment with them more often.
I’m actually a huge hipocryte, because I don’t mind paying $35 for a good Cabernet, but I DO mind paying $35 for the best Pinot Noir.

Hmmmmmmmmmm, I’ll have to think about this… good question of the day!

Photo Joe
April 23, 2007

Ken
Gary, Good episode today. Iâ€™ve always been curious; why are Pinot Noir bottles the shape that hey are? It really doesnâ€™t bother me but some people I know hate the shape because it make the wine hard to store.

QOTD: Iâ€™m really not all that mad at Sideways. I wasnâ€™t a big PN drinker before Sideways and Iâ€™m still not. I guess the price bump is a little aggravating. I probably would have been more upset if the focus was on Rhone varietals such as Grenache & Syrah. However, I do like what Sideways did to the demand for Merlot. Iâ€™m a Merlot fan as long as it is well made â€“ Washington, Right Bank, etc. People that think Merlot sucks havenâ€™t had good Merlot.
April 23, 2007

Jon B
Hi Ken,

The bottle shape is pretty much just marketing following French tradition. It used to be that big Bordeaux wines threw tannins and tartrates as a sediment to the side or bottom of the bottle, and you needed the high shoulder to catch the sediment when you decanted. Burgundy wines, on the other hand, tended not to throw a sediment as often, so they wanted every drop of the wine to slide out easily from the bottle. Nowadays it doesn’t really matter, but wine geeks like me are quick to think a Pinot looks odd in a Bordeaux bottle, like the New Zealand Pinot Gary just tasted.

I agree that the fat-bottomed bottles are a pain in the rack. But those heavy glass bottles do help with market perception on higher-end wines.
April 23, 2007

Dusty
QOTD: I had the unfortunate luck of really starting to get into wine right before Sideways came out. I like the movie. It’s entertaining and whatnot, but for the longest time as a new wine drinker I avoided Pinot Noir and Merlot because I didn’t want people to think that I was drinking it solely based on that movie. Although lately, not that I think about it, Sideways is almost always playing in the background when my few wine friends and I pop open a bottle.
April 23, 2007

Like 'em Rounded and Aged
100% love what Sideways did to the cost of Merlot and Cab Franc prices! I prefer those grapes over California Pinots anyway.
April 23, 2007

Ken
Sideways was great and Paul G. was amaizing. This movie made me appreciate Pinot Noir and try different types of wines that I never paid attention to before.B4 Sideways, all I drank was merlot and Cabs.
April 23, 2007

Dave-from-Katonah
6:15 and no new episode? Bad w/e in Chi-town?
We await the new arrival with patience…
April 23, 2007

Randy
So true Ken.

Merlot is what I generally want to drink while my Cab is laying down for several years
April 23, 2007

TagWorld Brian
Since there’s apparently no new episode today, let me take a moment to mention another amazing Pinot Noir: Duckhorn Goldeneye Anderson Valley 2004. WS91: “This wine exhibits dusty berry, cola and wild raspberry flavors in a complex, well-focused style. Ripe and tannic, it finishes with nice fruit and tannin traction. Drink now through 2011.”) Another review said: “This is a delectable, full-bodied wine with a smooth mouth feel, fine tannin structure, lush texture and a lingering finish. The aroma is complex with notes of cherry, earth, smoke, cedar and flowers. The flavors are predominantly plum, blackberry, and strawberry with a hint of truffles and a spicy dash of black pepper on the lingering finish.” I agree. The Duckhorn was an incredible PN. It had a medium-light color, but the nose was seductive – dark, earthy, and a little gamey. The flavors were cherry and dark berry, and a little spice. It was rounded, fairly full-bodied, and had a great, lasting finish. I know I’m echoing Spectator’s notes, but they are dead-on IMHO.

Also, last night my Dad and I shared a Sapphire Hill Pinot Noir 2004. It was hot at first (would decanting have helped that?), but delicious flavor profile and finish. Black cherry/berries/tea/spice.
April 23, 2007

Kirk
QOTD: Sideways was a gateway to bring wine into the spotlight…I don’t think you can account for a movies success in the rising prices of Pinot Noir. I think that possibly the movie opened peoples eyes to wine as a whole…and thus brought more people to the market. With more people in the market there are less available wines…driving up the prices. I’m just glad that they shot the film in Santa Barbera and not Newburg, OR. I personally didn’t find the movie altering my tastes at all…however a weekend touring Willamette Valley DID. As for other trends…I’d like to see a movie shot about the finger lakes…maybe that’d be a great way to see if sales go up there. Look for an increase in popularity of Provance, France in the next few years….and if it happens we can all thank Russel Crowe.
April 23, 2007

Adolfo Orendain
For us Pinot Noir lovers, Sideways just made them more expensive.
Although i liked the movie, it is interesting to see the Hollywood influence even on Wine.

If there is grape that can get you in good mood. That is Pinot Noir!
April 24, 2007

wayno da wino
If you drink no Noir, you Pinot Noir !!
April 24, 2007

Susan
Gary-
Great Ep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Can’t afford these yet………………..
Susan
April 24, 2007

GingerFe
Not Fair! Why did you taste an 04 Chambolle in this mix… 04s just don’t stand up… I’d be curious if you had tried an 02 or 03 from the same producer, would you have had the same notes….I think it’s important to match apples to apples.. Yes? Of course, the Aussie was the wild card.
April 24, 2007

Bexter
Glad you loved the Chehalem, and happy someone corrected your mispronunciation of Oregon. I loved Willamette Valley pinot well before “Sideways,” and the good ones have always seemed pretty spendy, but many worth it, too.

I thought Sideways was a brilliant movie! I’m amazed by how many comments refer to the dislike of the characters. Personally, I would never judge a movie based upon the “likability” of the characters–I watch it for entertainment, not to find friends. In fact, if I find myself “hating” a character, then I’ve obviously been moved, emotionally speaking, and that’s impressive in my opinion. As for the repercussions on the wine market…I’ll keep a positive attitude and appreciate the affordable merlot.
April 28, 2007

JimCT
Really kind of liked Sideways. Some funny bits that were still funny the second time around. Great movie? Not quite, but what other wine movies were?

As for the prices, I got hit by the fact that Hitching Post was featured. It was one of my early favorites and the mid-90’s vintages were my first Pinots that sat in my “cellar” for a few years. Those wines were delicious. They weren’t all that cheap back then (for me / around $32-$35). and I suppose the movie accelerated that inflation. But some day I’ll buy them again.
January 2, 2008

Aave
There should be a movie for all the grapes, from aglianico to viognier and from pinot grigio to petit verdot. They’ve all earned the effort.
June 26, 2008

Dessert Wine Nerd
How nerdy is it that Im excited that the screen is about 3x larger than the one on youtube? Love the tasting notes on the Chehalem… Im a huge pepper and spice fan.
January 22, 2009

WineWoman
QOTD: Absolutely loved Sideways. Pinot Noir wasn’t my favorite type of wine, but the movie got me to try more of them, and enjoy them very much. I was never a big Merlot fan, but that hasn’t stopped me from drinking them and finding some I like. Unfortunately, the Cali Pinots began to saturate the market and people trying them for the first time, thought they should be a big, sweet wine that contained a hefty amount of Syrah. I don’t remember the year Sideways came out, but admittedly, I boycotted French wines for a long time because they didn’t join us in the War. If you look at my wine-buying receipts, you will notice I’ve gotten over that a long long time ago. Viva La France….
June 15, 2009

Phredd
QOTD: Can I say both? I wasn’t a big pinot drinker until Sideways, preferring cabernet sauvignon. Now I have tried more pinot and have realized I was missing lot. I still am not a huge fan of merlot, in general, and that made the parts dissing merlot funnier. On the other hand, pinot prices are starting to get a bit ridiculous. There are some small-production pinots I’ve had recently that are charging $40/bottle that are worth maybe $10. “Buy with care” seems to apply particularly to pinot noir.

However that may be, Sideways was good for the wine industry overall.
November 17, 2009

John J.
qotd i do like how the cheval blanc he’s been saving the whole movie is a merlot.

Gary, how about throwin a vin jaune on the show?

Pinot Noir Taste Off – Episode #221

Wines tasted in this episode:

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