Cheval Blanc may be all merlot, but not all merlot is Cheval Blanc. Same goes for Petrus. Notice Miles did not say "If they want to drink '82 Petrus, I'm leaving!"
I loved Sideways for how it used wine and oenophilia to provide insight into a character. I also appreciate it as a celebration of wine, especially Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, represent!) But its unintentional promotion of the idea that connoisseurship equals snobbery vexes me. In much the same way that you knowing something about how to taste wine makes it possible to appreciate it, anyone who oversimplifies the nuances of the film is going to miss out on its complexities.
Still, Giamatti holding his hand to his ear and noting the 'soupçon of a smoky Edam cheese' was a masterstroke.
Well, this is hilarious. Is the Cheval Blanc the bottle he drinks from by himself in that restaurant? I know very little about wine so it's not surprising to me that the net effect of "I'm not drinking any fucking merlot!" was to depress merlot sales. (Although, to Mr Middlebrow's point, what it actually reveals is the depths to which Giamatti's character has sunk. Really? He's not going to drink Merlot even though it might endear him to a beautiful woman? Madness!)
And I thought it was a "soupçon of asparagus, a flutter of Edam" -- no matter: you know what it does to me when you toss out diacritics. Oh Mr Middlebrow!
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Most people don't even realize this, but the Cheval Blanc that's the prize of his collection in Sideways is actually a Merlot.
Cheval Blanc may be all merlot, but not all merlot is Cheval Blanc. Same goes for Petrus. Notice Miles did not say "If they want to drink '82 Petrus, I'm leaving!"
I loved Sideways for how it used wine and oenophilia to provide insight into a character. I also appreciate it as a celebration of wine, especially Pinot Noir (Willamette Valley, represent!) But its unintentional promotion of the idea that connoisseurship equals snobbery vexes me. In much the same way that you knowing something about how to taste wine makes it possible to appreciate it, anyone who oversimplifies the nuances of the film is going to miss out on its complexities.
Still, Giamatti holding his hand to his ear and noting the 'soupçon of a smoky Edam cheese' was a masterstroke.
Well, this is hilarious. Is the Cheval Blanc the bottle he drinks from by himself in that restaurant? I know very little about wine so it's not surprising to me that the net effect of "I'm not drinking any fucking merlot!" was to depress merlot sales. (Although, to Mr Middlebrow's point, what it actually reveals is the depths to which Giamatti's character has sunk. Really? He's not going to drink Merlot even though it might endear him to a beautiful woman? Madness!)
All this makes me think of Murketing's wine packaging design series and the last paragraph of this Seth Godin pricing post.
And I thought it was a "soupçon of asparagus, a flutter of Edam" -- no matter: you know what it does to me when you toss out diacritics. Oh Mr Middlebrow!
So how about I pop open this little gewürztraminer I've been saving and we get this party started?
You read my mind. Here: à votre santé.
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