Movie review: Sideways

Sideways (2004)

Sideways is a comedy-drama about a road trip through California’s wine country. Paul Giamatti and Thomas Hayden Church play Miles and Jack, college friends both having midlife crises of sorts. Miles is a divorced, miserable failed author/middle school teacher, while Jack is a washed-up former actor who is about to be married. Miles wants to relax and recharge on the trip and actually enjoy wine country, but Jack is more focused on having one last fling before getting married.

The movie is packed with information about wine. Miles is a bit of a wine snob who knows all about the wines, regions, grapes, etc. Throughout the movie, he gives Jack and the other characters wine facts and tasting notes. Listening to his character talk about wine is very enlightening. It was set in Santa Barbara County, California, and was filmed mostly on location. The region is depicted quite well in the movie. Throughout the movie, the viewer gets to see several vineyards and wineries, some tastings, wine and dinner pairings, and hear some wine lingo.

The movie was truly entertaining and educational. The plot is engaging and hilarious, and the many wine facts that Miles gives are woven into the story so well that the viewer gets quite a wine lesson without even really realizing it.

After watching the movie, I did some research and found out that Miles’s opinions of wine actually had an effect on wine sales in the U.S. and U.K. In the film, he praises pinot noir, but hates Merlot (At one dinner, he says, “No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!“). Pinot noir sales were up 16 percent in the year following the film’s release, while Merlot sales were down 2 percent, according to a study by Sonoma State University. This was interesting to me because it shows that wine-drinkers in the U.S. and the U.K. take others’ opinions on wine so seriously that they were willing to accept the opinion of a fictional character.

I’d recommend the movie to anyone – even if you aren’t interested in wine, the plot is great. If you are interested in wine, watching the movie is a good way to learn more while also being entertained. Since Jack is a novice and much of the wine information is being explained to him by Miles, none of it is too advanced for the viewer to understand. Even a viewer with no outside knowledge of wine could learn from it.

Tasting - Astica Syrah

Astica
Syrah
Region: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $8
With food?: Yes, with pork tenderloin and macaroni and cheese

Review from Snooth.com: Note the intense black fruit aromas on the bouquet combined with notes of red berries, licorice and spice. The fruit is ripe and sweet on the palate with a peppery character to it wrapped around silky, smooth tannins with a slight smoky note on the finish.

My review: When I had this with dinner, it was smooth and fairly drinkable for a red. It was a little bitter, but not too bad, and it didn't have a lot of burn going down. It smelled and tasted a bit like Merlot to me. I enjoyed it. I had it again a few days later, and it was MUCH more bitter by that time. It was impossible to drink more than a few sips of it after it had been sitting for a few days.

Tasting - Turning Leaf Sweet Riesling

Turning Leaf
Sweet Riesling
Region: California
Year: 2011
Price: $6
With food?: No

Review from Viewpoints.com: I am about half-way through a bottle of Turning Leaf Riesling, which I normally wouldn't have purchased, but my mom came to visit, and she loves her glass of Riesling! However, that leaves me the rest to polish off...

About the product: Each bottle of Turning Leaf Riesling sells for between $6.00 and $9.00, depending on sales. The mildly sweet white wine has notes of citrus, apricots, lemon, and interestingly, fresh-cut grass!

*My take: *I don't like overly sweet wines, and Rieslings tend to be a little too sweet for my taste. This one, however, is only slightly sweet. It's very lightly effervescent and tingly, so it's very refreshing and nice for a summer drink. It's definitely best served chilled, as once it warms up a bit, the taste changes. According to my husband, who drank it when it was closer to room temperature, "It tastes like vinegar." Now it serves him right, since he doesn't like wine and stole a sip of mine! But he's right... It does take on a slightly vinegar-ish flavor as it warms.

All in all, this is a good, inexpensive version of a Riesling. Three stars.

My review: I couldn't believe how easy this wine was to drink. It wasn't very flavorful or alcoholic, so it went down very easily. It was sweet, with distinct notes of pear and apricot. It was a good, light summer wine, but definitely not for serious wine drinkers. It was only 8 percent alcohol, which was a disappointment to me, even though it made it more drinkable. 

Tasting - Lucky Duck Riesling

Lucky Duck
Riesling
Region: Germany
Year: 2012
Price: $4
With food?: No

Review from Snooth: Upon first taste the acidic flavor overpowers any sweetness. After aeration the wine is only mildly sweet and has very strong citrus tones. This did not pair well with fish and scallops. The flavor actually overpowered the food rather than enhance sadly.

My review: Definitely not a strong wine. It almost tasted watered down (which it probably was, since it was $4 at Walmart). It wasn't anything special, but it was sweet and drinkable. It had a low alcohol content - only 9.5 percent.
Every review I found of the wine was very negative; I didn't hate it, but I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Tasting - Lindeman's Sauvignon Blanc

Lindeman's
Sauvignon Blanc 
Region/Country: Southeast Australia
Year: 2012
Price: $10.50 on sale for $6!
With food?: Yes, with flounder

Review from Cellar Tracker: Not terrible. It actually tastes better than it smells. Has a resemblance to what I remember to tasting Yellow Tail. The color is green golden. The nose has asparagus, lime, and something almost industrial. The fruit flavor is relatively free of the off flavors, and is quite lively. The green vegetable flavors almost work with the citrus, especially lime. Has a commendable, chalky dry mouth feel. Balanced, under control acidity. The finish exhibits some of diesel, or industrial flavors that begin to ruin some of the decent flavors of this wine.

My review: I could definitely taste the fruity and citrus-y flavors in it. I'd describe it as tropical tasting. The label recommended pairing it with seafood, which definitely worked; the tastes were very complementary. It was very dry and not too acidic.

Tasting - Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir

Pepperwood Grove
Pinot NoirRegion/Country: Chile
Year: Non-vintage (grapes grown in two or more different years blended together)
Price: $6
With food?: No

Review from Wine Buyer: Garnet in color, the nose has notes of rose water and cherry preserves. This delicate pinot starts soft with fresh strawberry and bing cherry fruit and finishes with rich plum, light clove and earthy tones.

My review: One of the easiest to drink out of all the reds I have had. It's definitely a light red. It tasted and smelled smokey and earthy. It had a distinct vanilla taste. It was kind of dull, but that made it easier to drink. It had a long aftertaste, but it wasn't bad. This was probably my favorite red so far.

Tasting - Thibaut-Janisson Blanc de Chardonnay

Thibaut-Janisson

Blanc de Chardonnay
Region/Country: Virginia, USA
Year: 2012
Price: $30
With food?: No

Review from Cellar Tracker: Lemon-colored, with a refined nose. This elegant, understated sparkler is racy and mineral-driven, displaying flavors of melon and well-integrated oak.

My review: I thought it was easy to drink because it didn't taste very acidic or very strongly of alcohol. It was very dry, with a strong melon or apricot taste. I liked how fizzy it was. I really liked it and would drink it again if I could afford it.