sideways

Go Sideways With Author Rex Pickett In Santa Ynez

Filed under: Wine, Books

Novelist Rex Pickett just might have the best book tour ever. The author who brought us Sideways, leading to a popular movie and an epic Merlot kerfuffle, is back with a new novel, Vertical. Vertical brings us the same characters, schlubby and charmingly wine-obsessed Miles and vain but endearing Jack on a new adventure. The fortunes of both the author and his characters have changed quite a bit in the intervening years and the book is a rollicking read.

Of course there's plenty of wine involved and so Pickett has been making the rounds of both book stores and wineries. This coming weekend he's up in Oregon and future events take him to Los Angeles, New York and even London. But for the real Sideways style experience you might want to join Pickett in Santa Ynez, California at Gainey Vineyard on Friday, April 15. The event takes place between 5:30 – 8:30 pm and there is no charge. Wine will be available for sale by the glass and books will be available for purchase.

As long as you are there, why not make a weekend of it. The Sideways wine trail page has great suggestions for places to visit that are connected to the book and movie.

Tags: gainey vineyard, rex pickett, sideways, vertical, wine, wine country

Visit Sedona for...Wine?

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Sunsets are like kittens and cherry blossoms -- you have to be a real curmudgeon to dislike them, and even when they're just ordinary, they're still pretty terrific. This is why a great many destinations tout their spectacular sunsets, to the point where I roll my eyes when I see it listed among an area's charms.

But I will say that the sun fading to night on the red rocks in Sedona, Arizona is unusually magnificent. So if you need a new reason to get out there and see it, here's one: there's a new Verde Valley Wine Trail, linking together wineries in Cottonwood, Jerome and other places in this part of the state.

The trail is an outgrowth of a documentary about the called Blood into Wine -- which has been screened in theaters around the United States since February, with many more planned into the spring and summer. It's been billed as the Sideways of Arizona -- just add musicians, model Milla Jovovich, and, judging from the trailer, a smidge of Deadliest Catch-esque edginess, and bottle.

The real question for me is whether the wine is any good -- I've actually not had any Arizona wine, to my knowledge. But I'd be willing to give it a go the next time I'm in Sedona. Worst case, I'll always have the sunset as a consolation prize.

Tags: arizona, arizona wine, blood into wine, movies, sedona, Sideways, Sideways Movie, wine

Merlove DVD Released, Celebrated With Merlot Tasting

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

When Miles screamed about not drinking any "#$%@ing Merlot" in the movie Sideways, it started a push toward Pinot Noir and the beginning of California Merlot's fight for its reputation. The battle still continues and Producer/Director Rudolf N. McClain has just released the DVD of his film Merlove. On the cover is a quote from Wine Spectator that says simply: "Take this, Miles."

"Merlove is a documentary I wanted to make in response to the movie Sideways," explains McClain. The movie was filmed in the Napa Valley, Washington State and Bordeaux and combines documentary style filmmaking with an animation subplot centered on a bottle of Merlot wine named "Merlove" which must find a way to fill itself with love when aimlessly tossed into the ocean of mediocre Merlot wine. The DVD contains new animated sequences, music, digital mastering and a director's commentary. The movie Merlove premiered on June 27, 2008 and has been screened at film festivals around the world.

McClain will be on hand to sign copies in the tasting room at V. Sattui Winery on November 14 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.. The winery is located at 1111 White Lane off Highway 29 just south of St. Helena. The DVD sells for $24.99. At the event you can show your support for Merlot by indulging in a free tasting of the winery's two Merlots, the 2006 Henry Ranch (Carneros appellation) and 2006 Napa Valley.

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Tags: merlot, merlove, sideways, v sattui, VSattui

U.S. Wine Drinking Habits Indicate California Love

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Decanter has the results of two interesting studies that explore the choices U.S. consumers make regarding wine. In terms of domestic consumption, California is king. Two out of every three bottles sold in the U.S. are from California. The Supreme Court decision to permit wineries to sell directly to consumers and the "Sideways" effect are believed to have contributed to the rise in sales. "Premium" wines, which are considered to be those over $7 were two thirds of the sales. Another market research study from Chicago-based Information Resources Inc (IRI) reports good news for wines from Europe and New Zealand. The study, called The 2005 Table Wine Top 30 Brand Performers, found that European table wines grew 9.4% last year . The sales of Spanish table wines was up 23.1% and German wines are up 18.9%. The really good news is for New Zealand wine producers. Their sales were up 190.5%.

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Tags: california wine, chardonnay, new zealand wine, pinot noir, sideways, wine, wine consumption, wine drinking, wine habits

Merlot Fights Back

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

As I've said before, the Sideways merlot bashing was an unfair swipe at a perfectly decent grape. Choose your wine well and merlot can be a delightful experinece. Swanson Vineyards isn't going to let people kick merlot around anymore. They are taking their merlot seminar on the road this spring to educate the trade and the media on a grape they say has been misunderstood and maligned. Their Merlot Fights Back website has information on why the wine is important including the fact that the ’61 Cheval Blanc Miles opened on his birthday in Sideways is a 50/50 blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Merlot Fights Back seminar features two flights of merlot. One from 2002 merlots from around the world, and one on just merlots from Northern California. Lastly they offer a flight of Swanson barrel samples from 2004 that show off the differences between the various treatments of the grape. Swanson's 2002 Merlot sells for $32 for those of us not in a city where the seminar is being held.

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Tags: california wine, grapes, merlot, sideways, wine