The National Wine
UnClub
Newsletter
May/June 2005
A Sideways Commentary
Ok...by now you've all seen the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film called Sideways, starring Paul Giamatti as the humorously neurotic novelist/grade-school English teacher/wine connoisseur. We all had a few hearty laughs over Paul's character, Miles, as he attempts to enjoy a long-planned week off with his buddy, Jack, touring the Central Coast wine country of California. His carefully mapped out wine and golf vacation goes awry literally during the opening credits of the film and gets worse/funnier from that point onward.
Miles is obviously hung over from a "tasting" the night before and, despite his protests, Jack proceeds to open a warm bottle of a fine California bubbly as they are leaving the home of Jack's fiancée in Los Angeles. The two are feeling no pain as they wander into their adventure blissfully unaware of the pitfalls of such a seemingly benign few days together. However, their travails are our delight, and the California wine industry (with Pinot Noir in particular) is getting a welcome boost in the process.
In the film, the Miles character vehemently demonstrates a severe revulsion for Merlot, the darling red grape of California viticulture for so many years. We've had many wine buyers in the store recently asking why Merlot was getting bashed in this blatant manner. The answer, while not immediately obvious to the average wine enthusiast, is simple enough and easy to understand when explained carefully.
Merlot took off as a single varietal in California when consumers discovered how pleasantly fruity the wine can be, similar to excellent Cabernet Sauvignon in flavor, yet low in tannins. In other words, here was a red wine that was drinkable upon release that didn't require food to be enjoyable; a great cocktail wine.
California producers saw this trend toward Merlot and capitalized as quickly as new plantings could bear fruit and bud-overs could be grafted onto less-popular rootstock. The rush to produce the next cash-flow Merlot was on! Therein lies the problem, because as wineries turned out Merlot that consumers bought without critical scrutiny sub-standard quality Merlot was finding its way onto store shelves and restaurant wine lists.
This is not to say that high quality Merlot does not exist. The early efforts in California with Merlot were remarkable wines because producers were utilizing their highest skills for bringing this member of the royal Bordeaux family of grapes to its fullest expression in the 'New World'. Producers like Rutherford Hill, Pine Ridge, and St. Francis were there leading the way from the late '70s.
What's really funny about Miles bashing Merlot in Sideways is that his most esteemed wine from his meager collection at home is a 1961 Chateau Cheval Blanc, a wine that has a good proportion of Merlot in it (along with Cabernet Franc, another varietal that Miles disses at the tasting room where Jack meets his Stephanie).
Pinot Noir has long been due for a higher level of appreciation by the wine-drinking public as it has much of the mid-weight softness of Merlot and is definitely the equal of any other fine varietal when it comes to character. In fact, Pinot Noir deserves much of the praise Miles heaps upon it...how it is a difficult varietal to produce and is only exceptional when grown in the right climate and soil by an experienced and dedicated vigneron.
California has come a long way with Pinot Noir, from an era of awful, ponderously alcoholic and woody wines to some of the richest and most complete Pinot wines found anywhere in the world. Burgundy is still the old master for this varietal. Stephanie revealed this in Sideways when she admonished Miles and Maya to not drink her 'Richebourg' (a Pinot Noir wine from Burgundy costing hundreds). Burgundies from the '02 vintage are fabulous, but pricy.
California Pinot Noirs are generally less expensive. If you can find them, at the highest level are producers like Rochioli, Marcassin, Au Bon Climat, Sanford, Adelaida, Calera, Flowers, and Du Mol. For affordability, try Leaping Lizard, Kenwood, Bouchaine, Claiborne and Churchill, and Belvedere. And don't forget, there are excellent Pinot Noirs from Oregon as well, including such names as Beaux Freres, Adelsheim, Bethel Heights, Willamette Valley Vineyards, and Rex Hill.
While we would not recommend drinking these wines in the state of mind evidenced by Miles in Sideways, all of the above-mentioned labels will bring a little heaven on earth to your soul - even when your best friend is contemplating diving off the high board into a shallow pool!
Cheers!
Donald W. White