Sideways...or Ass-Backwards ?

Watched the movie Sideways last night, and I have to say that if you aren't into wine, I'm guessing that half of that movie was torturously boring...thankfully, I was able to fully appreciate some of the memorable quotes...



Miles, explaining why he is so into Pinot Noir:

"Uh, I don't know, I don't know. Um, it's a hard grape to grow, as you know. Right? It's uh, it's thin-skinned, temperamental, ripens early. It's, you know, it's not a survivor like Cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and uh, thrive even when it's neglected. No, Pinot needs constant care and attention. You know? And in fact it can only grow in these really specific, little, tucked away corners of the world. And, and only the most patient and nurturing of growers can do it, really. Only somebody who really takes the time to understand Pinot's potential can then coax it into its fullest expression. Then, I mean, oh its flavors, they're just the most haunting and brilliant and thrilling and subtle and... ancient on the planet."



Maya, explaining what she loves about wine:

"How it's a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining; if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline.



Miles, after tasting a wine at a "lesser" winery:

"It tastes like the back of a fucking L.A. school bus. Now they probably didn't de-stem, hoping for some semblance of concentration, crushed it up with leaves and mice, and then wound up with this rancid tar and turpentine bullshit. Fuckin' Raid.".



Miles:

"No, if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!"



One observation I made: Miles obviously isn't too fond of merlot (judging by the above quote), and in another scene he talks about how he doesn't believe there can be a great cabernet franc. Yet, the prized wine in the movie (you'll just have to watch it), is a '61 Cheval Blanc. For those of you who don't know, Cheval Blanc is a Premier Grand Cru Bordeaux, and 1961 is one of the finest vintages of the century in Bordeaux (and perhaps the oldest great vintage who's wines are not yet past their peak). What is odd is that Cheval Blanc is known for being the great Bordeaux wine that uses a majority of cabernet franc (57% of the vineyard) with most of the rest being merlot (41%--and throw in 1% malbec for good measure), rather than a large proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon (1%) as do most of the other great Bordeaux wineries.



A slip-up by the writers ? Or, more likely, a testament to the power of growing grapes in their best terroir followed by perfect blending and cellaring ?



How did it taste in that styrofoam cup, Miles ?