In the film Sideways, which earned an Academy Award in 2005 for best adapted screenplay, those descriptive words appropriately captured the character of wine-obsessed character Miles Raymond, played by Paul Giamatti.
"Thin-skinned. Temperamental. In need of constant care and attention."
The same words also tell the story of another character in the film: Pinot Noir. Over a decade later, pinot noir has become a pillar of the California wine industry, and winemakers credit the film with bringing deserved attention to the varietal, calling it "The Sideways Effect."
According to Gabriel Froymovich of Vineyard Financial Associates, "Pinot noir production in California has increased roughly 170 percent since Sideways was released." Froymovich also notes that total wine grape production had only increased 7 to 8 percent during the same time." I think people who were into wine saw the passion for pinot noir in the movie, decided to explore that variety a bit, and realized how lovely a wine that grape makes."
We couldn't agree more. That is one of the reasons why we are so pleased to
introduce our exclusive six-bottle set, featuring our award-winning 2021 and 2022 Pinot Noir vintages side by side. Indulge in the best of both worlds with three bottles of each vintage.
Both our 2021 and 2022 Vampire Pinot Noir have earned prestigious gold medals from the Los Angeles Invitational Wine & Spirits Challenge, a testament to its exceptional quality recognized by industry experts.
They've hailed our 2021 vintage for its "well-balanced profile, cocoa aromas, and vibrant fruit flavors." Meanwhile, they celebrated our 2022 Pinot Noir for its "sumptuous blend of strawberry jam, pomegranate, and black cherry notes, enhanced by subtle hints of spice, smoke, and violets, culminating in an elegantly satisfying finish." These accolades are underscored by an impressive 91-point rating from the panel.
And if that wasn't enticing enough, Wine Enthusiast celebrates our 2021 Pinot Noir as a "Best Buy," highlighting its well-balanced and approachable nature, with enticing flavors of red currant, rose petal, red plum jam, bittersweet chocolate, and vanilla. We love this wine.
Here's the movie clip and the script for you to see with this new perspective.
Cheers!
The Team At Vampire
MAYA
"Why are you so into Pinot? It's like
a thing with you."
"Why are you so into Pinot? It's like
a thing with you."
Miles laughs at first, then smiles wistfully at the
question. He searches for the answer in his glass and
begins slowly.
question. He searches for the answer in his glass and
begins slowly.
MILES
"I don't know. It's a hard grape to
grow. As you know. It's thin-skinned,
temperamental, ripens early. It's
not a survivor like Cabernet that
can grow anywhere and thrive even
when neglected. Pinot needs constant
care and attention and in fact can
only grow in specific little tucked-
away corners of the world. And only
the most patient and nurturing growers
can do it really, can tap into Pinot's
most fragile, delicate qualities.
Only when someone has taken the time
to truly understand its potential
can Pinot be coaxed into its fullest
expression. And when that happens,
its flavors are the most haunting
and brilliant and subtle and thrilling
and ancient on the planet."
"I don't know. It's a hard grape to
grow. As you know. It's thin-skinned,
temperamental, ripens early. It's
not a survivor like Cabernet that
can grow anywhere and thrive even
when neglected. Pinot needs constant
care and attention and in fact can
only grow in specific little tucked-
away corners of the world. And only
the most patient and nurturing growers
can do it really, can tap into Pinot's
most fragile, delicate qualities.
Only when someone has taken the time
to truly understand its potential
can Pinot be coaxed into its fullest
expression. And when that happens,
its flavors are the most haunting
and brilliant and subtle and thrilling
and ancient on the planet."
Maya has found this answer revealing and moving.
MILES
"I mean, Cabernets can be powerful
and exalting, but they seem prosaic
to me for some reason. By comparison.
How about you?"
"I mean, Cabernets can be powerful
and exalting, but they seem prosaic
to me for some reason. By comparison.
How about you?"
MAYA
"What about me?"
"What about me?"
MILES
"I don't know. Why are you into wine?"
"I don't know. Why are you into wine?"
MAYA
"I suppose I got really into wine
originally through my ex-husband. He
had a big, kind of show-off cellar.
But then I found out that I have a
really sharp palate, and the more I
drank, the more I liked what it made
me think about."
"I suppose I got really into wine
originally through my ex-husband. He
had a big, kind of show-off cellar.
But then I found out that I have a
really sharp palate, and the more I
drank, the more I liked what it made
me think about."
MILES
"Yeah? Like what?"
"Yeah? Like what?"
MAYA
"Like what a fraud he was. Miles laughs."
"Like what a fraud he was. Miles laughs."
MAYA
"No, but I do like to think about the
life of 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 that summer
or if it rained... what the weather
was like. I think about all those
people who tended and picked the
grapes, and if it's an old wine, how
many of them must be dead by now. I
love how wine continues to evolve,
how every time I open a bottle it's
going to taste different than if I
had opened it on any other day.
Because a bottle of wine is actually
alive -- it's constantly evolving
and gaining complexity. That is,
until it peaks -- like your '61 --
and begins its steady, inevitable
decline. And it tastes so fucking
good."
"No, but I do like to think about the
life of 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 that summer
or if it rained... what the weather
was like. I think about all those
people who tended and picked the
grapes, and if it's an old wine, how
many of them must be dead by now. I
love how wine continues to evolve,
how every time I open a bottle it's
going to taste different than if I
had opened it on any other day.
Because a bottle of wine is actually
alive -- it's constantly evolving
and gaining complexity. That is,
until it peaks -- like your '61 --
and begins its steady, inevitable
decline. And it tastes so fucking
good."
Now it is Miles's turn to be swept away. Maya's face
tells us the moment is right, but Miles remains frozen.
He needs another sign, and Maya is bold enough to offer
it: reaches out and places one hand atop his.
tells us the moment is right, but Miles remains frozen.
He needs another sign, and Maya is bold enough to offer
it: reaches out and places one hand atop his.
MILES
(pointing)
"Bathroom over there?"
(pointing)
"Bathroom over there?"
MAYA
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
Miles gets up and walks out. Maya sighs and gets and
American Spirit out of her purse.
American Spirit out of her purse.