The Sideways novel and film are arguably the most impactful wine entertainment in today's pop culture, and certainly for Santa Barbara County. Talking with Rex Pickett the author of the book, "Sideways" on his view of the impact of the film. 

Q - Could you share a bit about the varietals Pinot Noir and Merlot in relation to the characters in your novel Sideways?

"At the time that I wrote Sideways Pinot Noir was a semi-obscure grape variety coveted by wine geeks who spoke of Burgundy and Sonoma’s Russian River in rhapsodic terms.  I, who knew little about wine ...

The movie "Sideways" seems to be a beaten dead horse amongst the wine industry, so much so, it could be called the "S-word."  They say perception is reality and many people's knowledge base sometimes falls on a simple  movie. As exasperated as the discussions might be, the impact has been a lasting one. A well known winemaker called it the "Sideways bump." The Santa Barbara region was heavily blessed with a lot of wine travelers seeking the much talked about Pinot Noir with cash in hand.  While Santa Barbara county may produce some of the best Pinot Noir in ...

It's that time of year when the grapes are being harvested and wine is being produced. It's also a time of celebration of the harvest, to enjoy the outdoors with good food and wine, while we still have great weather.

On October 8th, the Santa Barbara Vintners Association put on the annual Celebration of Harvest, held at Rancho Sisquoc winery, in Santa Maria Valley. There was no shortage of media covering this wine event, and I saw many familar friendly faces. Chris Czar was out with his crew taking footage for a television show, while local photographer Bob ...