OT---Movie Called "Sideways"

I enjoyed the movie. Alternately funny and touching. One even cares about the main character even if he's not a very likable guy.

The tasting room scenes are good. I enjoyed both Miles' speech about PN and Maya's about why she likes wine.

It's funny where Miles denigrates Cab Franc as incapable of making great wine, yet has Cheval Blanc as the one great wine he owns.

Worth seeing. Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

Yeah, really really funny scenes.

I have never been to the wine country at Santa Barbara or San Luis Obisbo....It looked beautiful.

I have not really cared for most of the wines I have tried from Santa Barbara. I do like Justin Wines and have since 1993. I like the price better before the 1997 got highly rated by Wine Spectator too. Used to get futures of Isoceles at about $24 a bottle....even the 1997 was at this price....not any more.

in article snipped-for-privacy@mb-m03.aol.com, Dale Williams at snipped-for-privacy@aol.comdamnspam wrote on 12/19/04 8:07 AM:

I really enjoyed the movie too. The winery and restaurant scenes were all shot in and around Buellton, Santa Ynez and Los Olivos. It IS beautiful country, all the way from the city of Santa Barbara North through San Luis Obispo.

There was something of a disagreement, on another board I frequent, about Miles' comment that he was going to leave if anyone ordered Merlot. (This was just before the two guys went into the restaurant for the first 'date'.) Before seeing the film, I thought he might have been referencing the debate I find myself in frequently as many Californians seem to write off Merlot completely in favor of big California Cabs. After seeing the film, I think Miles' affinity for Pinot suggests he may find Merlot too simplistic and 'ordinary'? But posters there said that Merlot became something more like White Zin at some point, and was not 'worthy' of a serious wine drinker. Miles' character is so 'wired' and neurotic that it could have been a lot of things. Did you have a take on that line?

My interpretation was that Miles was (pompously) pointing out that he had discerning tastes in wine, that he wasn't part fo the "gimme a glass of Merlot" crowd.

Merlot has suffered in the eyes of wine enthusiasts from the overpopularization of the soft easy sweet-fruity style (a la Blackstone and the like), making it the red equivalent (in reputation) of Chardonnay. In reality, Merlot is capable of a variety of guises, and there are plenty of good ones in a variety of styles from California. But yes, to an extent I sympathize with Miles.

And of course, Merlot makes up the other 1/3 of Cheval Blanc. :) Dale

Dale Williams Drop "damnspam" to reply

I particulary liked Mia's comment that "anytime you open the cheval blanc will be a special occasion".

To many of us hold a fine wine for special occasion...I think she summed it up quite well.