Celebrating Wine On The Big Screen

Following the busy holiday season, I finally took the time to see the film Sideways. It is a melancholy comedy about a groom-to-be and his best man spending a few days together in the California wine country during the week just before the wedding. The film has wonderfully comic dialogue and some surprising plot twists. It was also clearly written by someone who is seriously interested in wine.

Wine has never really seemed to find a place in the popular culture of the United States. The image of the wine snob is one that I grew up with, and certainly presented a daunting challenge to anyone who dared to tackle such a “complex” subject as wine.

The idea that wine was a beverage someone had to “learn about” before they could enjoy it has probably intimidated legions of people who might have wanted to simply enjoy a nice glass of wine. Thankfully, this image is slowly fading away. The Crane brothers of the sitcom Frasier and Miles in Sideways are now more the subject of affectionate mocking than intimidation.

Still, having a feature film use wine as a central metaphor for the entire movie is almost unheard of. The release of Sideways was written about in Wine Spectator magazine as well as the Wednesday wine column of The New York Times.

Clearly, a wine movie that dared to break out of the circle of wine geeks and attract a major audience was news! Is it possible that the critical acclaim for Sideways may lead to more movies based on the world of wine? Probably not.

Wine is definitely becoming a more accepted part of our daily routine. A glass of wine with dinner has even been found to have health benefits. I don’t think the country is quite ready for a sitcom based on the wacky world of wine auctions or a crime solving sommelier.

However, I am quite pleased to see an interest in wine become more of a part of American culture.

(Newtown resident and wine enthusiast Steve Small is the general manager at Yankee Wine & Spirits on Queen Street.

Sideways continues to play locally at Bethel Cinema; call 778-2100 for showtimes.)