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.

Tasting - Crane Lake Merlot

Crane Lake 
Merlot
Region/Country: California, USA
Year: 2011
Price: $5
With food?: Yes, pasta.

Review from Cheap Wine Reviews: Very wet, with almost no structure. The second glass I had was chilled, which was much better in my opinion. Very light oak.

All-in-all, if you want to impress someone with a large quantity of wine on your premises, Crane Lake wine is the wine to do it with! Otherwise, I would try something like Marcus James or “2 buck-Chuck” that are in the same price range.

My review: This is my second Merlot I have tried, so I tried to compare this one to the Sutter Home Merlot. This one was a lot weaker than the Sutter Home. It had very little smell or taste of alcohol and wasn't very acidic, so it was very easy to drink - much easier for me than most reds. It was still fairly flavorful; it had a distinct bitter berry/grape taste. It also wasn't as dry as the last one. I had it with pasta and I thought it was a good match. It was also very, very cheap, which was a plus.

Tasting - flipflop Chardonnay

flipflop
Chardonnay 
Region/country: California, USA
Year: 2010
Price: $6
With food?: No

Review from Bargain Wine Time: "Another bottle with a cute label. What is this world coming to? But never fear, flipflop wines promise us; “to each, their own.” And for the most part, this Chardonnay delivers!
I served this flipflop Chardonnay about 20 minutes after taking it out of the refrigerator – I don’t like my whites ice-cold! In fact, I find that the fruity flavors develop as the wine warms.
This Chardonnay exhibits aromas of pineapple and tropical fruits. The first sip brings flavors of pineapple and creamy vanilla. It’s a medium-bodied wine with a lightly toasted oak finish. I was surprised by the semi-sweet, fruity nature of this wine!"

My review: I really liked this Chardonnay. It smelled very fruity and very alcoholic, so I wasn't expecting much. However, it really exceeded by expectations. It was fruity but more sour than sweet and it was very smooth. I noticed that it was pretty thick for a white wine, and it left a lasting coat in my mouth after drinking it. I couldn't really detect the flavors that the label said were in it, and it was a bit dry and acidic, but I still really enjoyed it. For $6, I will definitely get it again.

Tasting - Sutter Home Merlot

Sutter Home
Merlot
Region/country: California, USA
Year: 2011
Price: $6
With Food?: Yes, with dinner - pork tenderloin and mixed vegetables

Review from One Stop Wine Shop: Exhibits a fresh black cherry aroma, with hints of tobacco and herbal spice. Medium-bodied, with smooth texture and moderate tannins, it boasts attractive, smoky black cherry and spice flavors, excellent structure, and a long, rich finish.

My review: This wine was a bit stronger and drier than I would have liked. I didn't think it went particularly well with dinner because of its dryness. It was bitter and tasted of blackberries. Its smell was very fruity, but it didn't taste that way. It had more of a burn than the previous wines I had tried. It was also more thick than others; I felt like it left a coating in my mouth. I drank it at room temperature, but I think I may have liked it more if it had been slightly chilled.

Tasting - Redwood Creek Pinot Grigio

Redwood Creek
Pinot Grigio
Region/country: California, USA
Year: 2011
Price: $6
With Food?: No.

Review from Liquor Outlet Wine Cellars: Flavors of red apple, peach and pear dominate the Pinot Grigio and hints of ripe citrus add complexity and fruit perception to the wine. The sweetness is well balanced with the acidity to create a clean and crisp finish.

My review: The label on the bottle described this wine as, "a fruity and crisp wine with notes of ripe apricot, Meyer lemon, and pear." The wine definitely was light, but I didn't agree that it was crisp. It wasn't particularly flavorful or tangy. In fact, it tasted like a good wine watered down. It wasn't bad, necessarily; it was easy to drink and I did enjoy it, but it was a dull taste. It would be a good wine for someone who doesn't like sharp tastes. 

My wine experience so far...

I love wine...but not a very wide variety of it. I drink moscato and other light, sweet wines, but I have never found a red wine I like. So I'm definitely not coming in with any expertise. I'm hoping to learn to find and appreciate other types of wine in this class to expand my taste, though. I'd really like to find a few red wines and champagnes that I like.

I probably drink wine about once a month now. I drink it whenever it's offered to me - at weddings, parties, and holidays (my family is all about drinking!) but I only buy it for myself every once in awhile, and then I almost always stick to the old faithful Barefoot Moscato.

Besides hopefully finding more wines that I like, I'm looking forward to learning about all the other stuff this class covers, too. I'm excited to learn how to drink wine - what to pair it with, etc. - and how to talk about it - tastes, textures, and all that.