Is Merlot Alive and Kicking 17 Years After the Movie, Sideways?
Merlot Retains Its Popularity Despite the Wild Ride – Let’s Visit the Filming Location
Sideways, the Movie
This October marked the 17-year anniversary of the premiere of Sideways, the movie that belittled Merlot and starred Pinot Noir in the Fall of 2004. This Oscar-nominated movie - a pre-wedding buddy trip gone wrong - features Miles, the main character, starring Paul Giamatti. Miles utters this notorious line:
“If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any [expletive] Merlot.” -Miles in Sideways
During the next year Merlot sales went on a wild ride and Pinot Noir sales soared, the so-called “Sideways Effect.”
A Merlot backlash occurred, but Sideways went on to gross $71 Million in revenues. Trefethen Winery lightheartedly thumbed their noses at the movie by hanging a sign below their Napa Valley entrance marquee reading:
Clearly, Miles has never had NAPA VALLEY Merlot.” – Trefethen Winery
Trefethen is one of the historically significant Merlot producers from the Oak Knoll region of Napa Valley. The folks at Trefethen sent “Sideways” screenwriter, Alexander Payne, a magnum of Trefethen Merlot following the movie release. Payne went on to win the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and appreciated the Trefethen gesture as well as their quality Merlot.
Was there a Sideways Effect?
Was there really a “Sideways Effect” on Merlot? While the movie was truly beneficial for the sales of Pinot Noir (16% uplift in the months after the movie), the “positive impact on Pinot Noir appears greater than the negative impact on Merlot,” reports Dr. Steven Cuellar, of Sonoma State University. “The movie did, however, appear to cause a general increase in wine consumption.” Bottom line: in 2004 Merlot held a 15% market share. Today Merlot is the 4th most consumed wine varietal. Although market share is down to 9%, 2021 is a much larger wine-consuming market and Merlot remains double the sales of Pinot Noir. Many vintners believe the movie forced Merlot’s quality to leap to higher standards, as previously it had been boring and over-planted in inappropriate soils. Some believe that if there were a Sideways Part-Deux, that Miles might actually prefer the Merlot to the current widely-planted and variably-made Pinot Noir.
Merlot – the Approachable Food-Friendly Wine
Merlot remains one of the most approachable and food-friendly red wine choices. The softer tannins of Merlot make it important in red blends. Excellence in Merlot has been achieved in the US with brands like Shafer, Duckhorn (the most popular), Trefethen, Nickel & Nickel, Jarvis, Bundschu (Gun-Bun was a Merlot pioneer), and Stags Leap. Merlot-based wines are also produced in France, Australia, Chile, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, South Africa, and virtually throughout the wine-growing world. Merlot is known as a chameleon grape because it takes on the character of the place and adapts to the local climate. The best Merlot has a range of flavors from black cherry, blueberry, plums, graphite, and cocoa to vanilla, clove, and cedar when oak-aged.
Certainly the Merlot-rich blends from France’s Right Bank Bordeaux region continue to set the standards of excellence and high prices in wine. Right-bank Bordeaux wines are Merlot-rich and come from the St. Emilion and Pomerol Regions. Here Merlot ripens early with large grapes. The tannins are soft and it is an ideal blending grape, too. Some fine examples of Merlot: Petrus, Chateau Lafleur, and Le Pin continue to command prices like $1000-9999 per bottle.
Sideways’ filming location occurred in the picturesque Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez wine country of California. This region enjoyed a surge in tourism following the movie release, and the increased popularity of its Pinot Noir wines was evident. Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard (pictured) was the fake-named Frass Canyon winery, site of the infamous wine spittoon-drinking scene. The Hitching Post II restaurant remains a fan favorite for all who want to do the “Sideways Tour.” Love it or not, Sideways had a huge impact on wine drinkers and made the way for more wine-themed movies like Bottle Shock and SOMM. The rising qualities of Merlot, its inherent drinkability, and its blending compatibility have sustained the varietal. Merlot is alive and kicking.
Some Recommended Excellent Merlots:
Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Merlot, 2017, Napa Valley, $109
Wine Spectator: 96 Points*
Tasting Notes: Lush red and black fruit with earthy undertones. Layered and complex notes of ripe plum, currant, mocha, and red licorice. Decant while young.
Trefethen Family Vineyards, Merlot, 2018, Napa Valley, $39
Wine Enthusiast:* 92 points
Tasting Notes: With savory aromas of blackberry, red currant, and cedar make this a bright, complex, and balanced medium-to-full-bodied wine. This wine spends 18 months in 37% new oak.
90% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
French Bordeaux Blend:
Chateau Laroque, 2016, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, France
Wine Advocate/Robert Parker* 94 points
Tasting Notes: Notes of Morello cherries, wild blueberries, and fresh plums with touches of lilacs with wood and tobacco hints abound.
95% Merlot, 4.5% Cabernet Franc, and .5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Some Great Value Merlots
Raymond Reserve Selection Merlot, 2016, Napa Valley, $29
Wine Enthusiast* 90 points
Gundlach Bundschu (Gun-Bun), 2018, Merlot, Sonoma County, $34
Wine Enthusiast* 93 Points
Visiting “Sideways” Wine Country:
Wineries to Visit
Fess Parker Winery (the fake-named Frass Canyon Winery of drinking-spittoon fame) 6200 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos, CA
Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards 6905 Foxen Canyon Rd., Los Olivos, CA
Buttonwood Farm and Winery 1500 Alamo Pintado Rd., Solvang, CA
Crown Point Vineyards, Happy Canyon – for an exclusive reservations-only tasting. 1733 Fletcher Way, Santa Ynez, CA
Where to Eat:
The Hitching Post II (Where Miles and Jack ate) 406 East Highway 246, Buellton, CA
Ballard Inn & Restaurant, The Gathering Table 2436 Baseline Ave., Ballard, CA
Where to Stay:
Moderate:
Sideways Inn (Where Miles and Jack stayed) 114 E Highway 246, Buellton, CA
Luxury:
Santa Ynez Inn 3627 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, CA
*About Professional Wine Reviews:
Wine ratings are based on a 100-point scale. Each publication has it own quality criteria. Experts aside, it’s up to you to decide what you like. Note: Wine Wanderings is not associated with or sponsored by Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, The Tasting Panel, Wine & Spirits, Wine Enthusiast, or Decanter.
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