Movie Review - Sideways

Movie review - Sideways

The movie I viewed for this movie review was titled Sideways. The movie was set in the Santa Barbara Wine Country. I didn’t consider the movie to be very involved with wine, but the parts that discussed wine were very informative. There were two main focus points of the movie: Paul Giamatti’s downward spiraling life and wine. Paul Giamatti plays a character named Miles Raymond, who has one of the most consistently depressing lives I’ve witnessed on screen and his best friend Jack, played by Thomas Haden Church, is the typical guy that gets everything when he doesn’t deserve anything.

The movie begins with the explanation that Miles and Jack were college roommates, after Miles is 2years out of a divorce and attempting to write a book and Jack is one week away from getting married, they decided to take a trip to the California wine country and indulge in a quick get away just for the boys. They begin their trip with Miles stopping off at this mothers to lie and steal to get the essentials for their trip, hence why most viewers don’t feel anything bad for Miles throughout the cinematic adventure.

As the trip goes on, Miles experiences a handful of mental breakdowns, throws a fit in wineries, and spends a lot of time envious of Jack. Jack, on the other hand, spends time trying to find women other than his fiancé to sleep with, good times for his last hooray as a single man, and spends no time caring for Miles’ mental breakdowns. Like I said earlier, I did not see much of a focus on wine throughout this movie. I think they through in little clips about wine to say that it had some informational purpose aside from its obnoxiously dramatic nature.

 The movie did not discuss wine on the technical level of regions, terrior, or styles. The deepest level of knowledge that the movie dived into was the different grape varietals and the growth and bottling process. The great thing about this movie was that is was filmed on location in the California wine country and helped with the tourism after the movie was released. There are numerous wineries shot in the movie and they do the entire tasting process. They examine the color of the wine, the legs, they swirl, sniff, and taste. The wine in the movie works as the glue that gives Miles and Jack their trip, as well as forms their relationships with all of the people they meet along the way. All of the actors in the movie have a great appreciation and a high understanding for wine, excluding Jack.

Miles talks about how the skin of the grapes will affect the color of the wine. He also discusses how there are certain grapes which are more sensitive than other grapes, causing for different growth conditions. Difference growth conditions also stem from the need to have different tasting wines. He expressed how important it is to swirl and sniff the wine to really allow it to open up and get all of the flavors and aromas that it has to offer.

As stated before, I don’t think this video should have been recommended as a video to watch for class. It seemed pointless and did not help my understanding of wine in any way. There was so much drama and negativity and there was really nothing to do with the informational, wine part that I was expecting. I was really waiting for the informative part of the movie where I would learn about wine but I walked away from it frustrated because I felt like I wasted my time hearing about things I already knew about grape varietals and huge, dramatic mid-life crises. I would not recommend this film to a wine audience. 

Wine Region - Burgundy

Wine Region- Burgundy

Burgundy is one of the more popular and one of the most well-known wine regions of the world. It is so well-known that most wine drinkers, when asked about wine regions, would rattle of Burgundy right away. Burgundy is located in France west of the Saone River, along the eastern valleys and slopes. It is a long, narrow region that is located southeast of Paris. Burgundy hosts approximately 74,000 acres of grapes which is equivalent to 30,000 hectares. There are several sub-regions to Burgundy because it is a fragmented region, these fragments produce the sub-regions including Cote d’Or, Cote Chalonnaise, Chablis, Beaujolais, and Maconnais. Burgundy produces red and white wine varieties and many wine lovers will announce that Burgundy reds are the greatest reds in the world. The most common grapes that are produced from the burgundy region are pinot noir, gamay, chardonnay, and aligote. Most of the wines that burgundy produces are dry wines.

There are over twenty-two million cases of wine that comes from the Burgundy region every year. There are larger and smaller vineyards in Burgundy. Although most of the vineyards are small, the vineyards that are larger in size produce multiple types of wine because there are many different owners. Wines from Burgundy are usually more expensive because the smaller sizes of the vineyards.

The soil and climate of Burgundy is what allows this wine region to produce both red and white lines so flawlessly. The soils are intensely varied and allow for the growth and production of all types of grapes. The richness, depth, and mineral content of the soils vary from one region to another but also within the region themselves in even a small confined space! For example, from the top of the hill to the bottom of the hill the soils can vary to produce different types of grapes. The combination of limestone and marl is what allows for the production of red or white. Marl is the mixture of clay and limestone. Most of the vineyards are a base content with the soil of limestone and then on top they are covered with more limestone and marl. Sometimes these can be mixed with sand or gravel depending on the soil conditions or the grapes. Whenever the limestone is more dominant, this is where white wines will grow. Whenever there is more marl present, this is where the grapes for red wines will be best to grow. The seasonal and climate changes in Burgundy are primarily ideal for growing. The biggest problems with the Burgundy region is that sometimes there is too much rain or the weather is too cool, but a majority of the time the grapes are in a perfect setting for good growth because the grapes are suited for cool climates.

Since the second century AD, there is evidence of viticulture being established in Burgundy. An important role in influencing burgundy wine was played by the monks and monasteries of the Roman Catholic Church. Burgundy wine was finally allowed to be transported and shared in the 19^th century. Over the past century the vineyards have battled through wars and depression but have been revived and the winemakers joined the AOC in JULY of 1935.

The wine labels of Burgundy show the difference in the classification. For example, Grand Cru wines only represent the name of the vineyard along with the name, leaving out the village name. Premier Cru wines label the village, term ‘Premier Cru”, and vineyard name form which it came.

sources:

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/frances-burgundy-wine-region.html

http://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-burgundy

Tasting - Caprice de Bastor-Lamontagne

Name: Caprice de Bastor-Lamontagne
Variety: Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadelle
Region: Sautners
Country: France
Year: 2004
Price: $7:95
Winery Review: "Very clean, with lemon, mineral and honey aromas that follow through to a medium body. Shows vanilla, apple and melon flavors, with a medium finish. Lightly sweet."
Your Review: I really enjoyed the aftertaste on this wine. The wine had a very full body and was nice on the mid palate. I think this would be excellent to pair with food.
I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - Torre Castillo Alegre

Name: Torre Castillo Alegre
Variety: Monastrell
Region: Jumilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $9:95
Winery Review: "4 months in a newAmerican oak barrels. Bright ruby red. Dried cherry, pipe tobacco, and rose aromas, with a hint of woodsmoke. Sweet and fleshy on the palate, with blackberry and sherry flavors complimented by licorice and a suggestion of dried herbs. The cherry and smoke notes repeat on the finish.
My. Review: I thought this wine was disgusting. I do not like licorice and the licorice flavors in this was too strong. Also, there was nothing in the wine that I would like so that I could somewhat deal with the licorice flavor. I did not enjoy the mixture of herbs, licorice, or tobacco/smokey flavor. I would not drink this wine again.

Tasting - Wilson Daniels

Name: Wilson Daniels
Variety: Merlot
Region: Central Coast, California
Country: USA
Year: 2010
Price: $7.95
Winery Review: "Made predominantly from Paso Robles gapes, the wine is full-bodied and silky yet robust, with aromas of black cherry and plum and a palate of blackberry, raspberry and blueberry jam laced with vanilla and toast."
My Review: I almost bought this wine. I thought that it was a very berry, jammy flavor that I really liked. The aroma was really sweet and I really liked it.
This wine was not paired with food.

Tasting - Bricco Dei Tati Rose

Name: Bricco Dei Tati Rose
Variety: 100% Barbera
Region: Italy
Country: Italy
Year: 2012
Price: $6:95
Winery Review: "Fresh with aromas of strawberries, cherries, and rose petals, this an ideal wine with shellfish, salads, chicken, and appetizers."
My Review: I really enjoyed the floral aspect of this wine. I thought it was very delicate and full at the same time. It was fresh and pleasing. The aroma was so enjoying I could wear it as a perfume. I really wish I could have had some food to try this with.
I did not pair this wine with food.

Tasting - Smoking Loon Sauvignon Blanc

Name: Smoking Loon
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Region: California
Country: USA
Year: 2009
Price: $7.95
Winery Review: "This bleached blonde beauty is reminiscent of fresh green apples, pineapples, and has hints of hibiscus blossoms. The concentration of zesty lemon and gooseberry fills your mouth leaving notes of thyme and melon behind. The bright acid in this wine gives you a zing while the fruit keeps your mouth watering for more. This wine pairs beautifully with a grilled prawn salad with a grapefruit vinaigrette, veggie spring rolls or grilled tilapia with mango salsa."
My Review: I thought this was a very different wine. It was very light and fresh with a lot of zesty and interesting flavors that spoke their own parts. I enjoyed the different fruit accents and the aroma of the wine was wonderful. I would definitely buy this wine in the future.
This wine was not paired with food