The movie that changed the (wine) world
I haven’t lived in the Long Island wine region that long–about a year and a half now. I’ve known about it longer, of course, but living in a place is different than visiting or reading about it. I’ve met a lot of people and I’ve learned a lot about what’s shaped this region–from the weather to the sandy soil to the prehistoric glaciers to the…movies. Hold that thought.
I recently met a woman who had lived and worked in the wine biz here; she moved away in the early 2000s. She had left before the formation of the Long Island Merlot Alliance (in 2005) and looked confused when I explained that we believe merlot is the premier grape of Long Island. “But isn’t that the Wine Council?” she asked. “Um, no,” I said. When she lived here, she told me, everybody knew how well merlot did here.
So what happened? In a word: ”Sideways.”
Maybe it’s cheeky of a relative newcomer to sum it up so off-handedly, with a reference to a movie, no less. I mean, come on. Could “Sideways” really have had that much impact here? The movie came out in 2004 and, from what I can tell, nothing was the same since. I’m told that some producers ripped acres and acres of merlot vines out, replacing them with pinot noir, as the movie practically prescribes. Why did so many people take a scene from a Hollywood movie so seriously? You tell me. If you’re reading this, and you were here in 2004, please weigh in!
–Donnell
I think the movie hit a nerve with people who were maybe feeling both a little intimidated by an industry that was telling them what to like, and by a need to break away from a boring choice of wines! They were talking about California merlot though not Long Island! Maybe the movie was a blessing in disguise since it helped rid the marketplace of some truly bad wines and opened the door for Long Island to show what it can do. Just my opinion.
Hi, Rene. I think you’re right: in a field where people don’t entirely trust their own taste, a strong statement can make a big impact. Unfortunately, it was regarded as a blanket statement, not a commentary on one style of winemaking a continent away. But maybe there is that silver lining you mentioned–maybe merlot is that much better now. Thanks for the optimism!
Like you I was not in LI in 2005, but rather having lived in Southern California I was surely aware of the “Merlot situation”. Recently I returned to California and spent nearly two weeks in the Buellton/Lompoc area which the backdrop for the movie Sideways (while engaged in my current consulting job in the management of a successful launch of a USAF weather satellite from Vandenberg AF Base in Lompoc). As such, I too had to re-visit both the movie and the impact on Merlot.
What is of course immediately apparent is that Santa Barbara County in general, Santa Ynez in particular and Sta. (Santa) Rita Hills in particular are not and never were Merlot wine growing regions. While the cool maritime climate with a long growing season is more similiar to LI than Napa, there Pinot Noir is KING and the quality is truly outstanding in my opinion - subtle aromas and flavors - fresh fruit and coca cola flavors blended into wildly complex compositions. Brewer-Clifton, Melville, TAZ, etc. are in the same class as any great Oregon Pinot Noir and in some cases as good as many Burgundies. Steve Clifton, who was at the Stony Brook 2008 Cool Climate Symposium in Southampton, took some time out of his busy wine making to give me both some insights into small winery operations, as well as, to introduce me to his partner Greg Brewer, who is also the wine maker at Melville. A sampling of their best Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs is on the way cross country for some top end wine tastings over the winter.
But back to Merlot, at the infamous Los Olivos Wine Merchant Café – the specific spot where the scene was shot of the infamous line in Sideways, the large wall of California wines is somewhat limited in the number of California Merlots. California seems to truly have abandon merlot as a varietal. Many Cabernet Sauvignons, Meritages, Malbecs and Pinot Noirs wines, but few Merlots. Which I believe overall, is good for both Merlot and Long Island Merlots in particular, given the poor quality Merlots coming from California 5-10 years ago. We did try a 2005 Flora Springs Trilogy, which was an excellent example of a European/Bordeaux style meritage wine coming from Napa. Using merlot and cabernet franc to blend with cabernet sauvignon seems to be the future role for merlot in California.
So it is again the time for LI Merlots to stand tall and be the equivalent of the Pinot Noirs of Sta. Rita Hills; no matter how small the region, world class wines made by world class winemaker in one of the top wine producing area of the US.