Film Sideways (2004)
The cast and the plot
The cast features a great character actor like Paul Giamatti (Miles), one of my favorites, especially in the film "Barney's Version" which consecrated him.
A cult comedy awarded the Oscar for best screenplay, it boosted tourism in the locations where it was filmed.
The plot follows the experience of two former classmates who are profoundly different from each other: Miles, a middle school teacher with an unpublished novel in his drawer, divorced for a couple of years but still deeply depressed, and Jack, a TV and commercial actor about to get married but with many desires still to fulfill. The two set off together on a week-long road trip through the vineyards and tasting bars of California – Jack's bachelor getaway.
"Wine is a living thing. I love imagining the year the grapes of a wine grew. If there was a beautiful sun… if it rained. And I love imagining the people who cared for and harvested those grapes. […] I like that wine continues to evolve. I like to think that if I open a bottle today, it will taste different from how it would if I opened it another day."
What to drink while watching
The wine to drink with this film is obvious and a given: what better than the protagonist's favorite nectar? So let's uncork a bottle of California Pinot nero and enjoy this entertaining, yet not without substance, picture.
Pinot nero: taste and aromas
Pinot Nero is one of the most difficult grapes to grow and vinify. It originated historically in the French region of Burgundy (Pinot noir), where it has most likely been cultivated for over 2,000 years.
The term pinot seems to derive from "small pine cone," signifying both the modest size of the cluster and the characteristic of having tightly packed berries, just like the scales of a pine cone.
Pinot nero gives us an extremely delicate red wine, highly subject to the vintage and the production location.
The yield of this grape variety is quite low and susceptible to many diseases, and the preferred soils are calcareous ones.
The critical point of Pinot nero is acidity, which must be preserved throughout the various stages of production as best as possible, precisely so as not to compromise the wine's balance.
Pinot nero is not suited to warm climates because it tends to ripen quickly, risking the loss of its precious acidity.
One can perceive aromas of red berries, such as cherry, raspberry, sour cherry and strawberry, together with woodland undergrowth scents and hints of oak.
Choosing the winery and food pairing
I recommend drinking Pinot nero at a temperature of 15/16 degrees, paired with lamb or with cheeses and speck del trentino.
One winery in particular? Mirassou, which has been producing wines between Sonoma and Monterey for over 150 years.
What do you think?
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