‘Sideways’ Makes Pinot Noir the New Merlot
LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) – Ever since Clark Gable bared his chest in 1934’s “It Happened One Night,” thus causing a nationwide decrease in undershirt sales, the moviegoing public has looked to movies for clues to what’s hot or what’s not.
The “in” item these days is pinot noir, thanks to the wine-swilling offbeat comedy “Sideways,” reports Reuters.
The film centers on struggling writer Miles (Paul Giamatti) trying to find himself during a trip through California’s wine country. In one scene, Miles waxes poetic to Maya (Virginia Madsen) about why he likes pinot noir so much, namely that the sensitive grape from which the wine is derived must be carefully nurtured in order to produce just the right flavor.
The long, intense panegyric reveals several things: Miles’ wish to demonstrate his wine knowledge, a reverence for well executed efforts and identification with how something tender can be easily damaged.
“People have really latched onto the romance of the scene, which made pinot the star, no doubt about it,” says Phil Lynch, spokesman for wine producer Brown-Forman Inc.
The buzzworthy — in more ways than one — film catapulted pinot noir sales 22 percent higher during the four-week period over the holidays than the year before. Increased sales from particular wineries include a 10 percent jump for the Louisville, Kentucky Brown-Forman, a 50 percent jump for Napa Valley’s Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines and a whopping 147 percent leap for Constellation Brands Inc.’s Blackstone Pinot Noir from California in the first 12 weeks after “Sideways” was released.
“Anything that moves cases these days is great,” adds Lynch. “This movie could help pinot noir replace merlot as the new hot red wine.”
“Sideways” has earned $41.5 million at the box office and five Oscar nominations for best picture, director, adapted screenplay, and supporting actors for Madsen and Thomas Haden Church.
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