High maintenance grape

Yahoo has a great story about the sales of Pinot Noir wine soaring 22% on the back of the movie Sideways. I saw Sideways again tonight and must admit I too was a little wooed by neurotic failed author Miles' evangelisation of the subtleties of the Pinot grape. "Why are you so into Pinot?" he asks of the gorgeous Maya. What a chat up line.

"People come in and immediately say, 'Where's the pinot noir?'" said Steve Villani, manager of Columbus Circle Liquors in Manhattan. "After a while, we began to ask them if they saw the movie, and they laugh out loud and say, 'yes'."

It's also funny to hear how California wineries, travel specialists and even wine auction houses are benefiting from the Sideways buzz:

"Winebid.com, which auctions rare and hard-to-find bottlings, has begun offering a collection of wines featured in the movie -- from Sea Smoke Cellars 2002 Botella pinot noir to Miles' treasured 1961 Cheval Blanc. (Bids for the Cheval Blanc start at $750.)"

My favourite quote from the movie is just before Jack and Miles double date two women they've met on the road:

Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we're drinking Merlot.
Miles: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am not drinking any fucking Merlot!

Still priceless on my second viewing.