Half-Assed Internet Research
Wine-industry impact; novel adaptation; filming mishaps; wine/restaurant choices; sequel changes
In the discussion (18)
Approx. transcript time · 00:16:23Read transcript
- The film reportedly hurt Merlot’s reputation and increased Pinot demand.
- Overproduction responding to Pinot demand reportedly diluted quality, while Merlot later recovered somewhat.
- Swingers' effect on dancing and Vegas, and American Gigolo's influence on style, are comparisons for Sideways reshaping a regional wine economy; later visits found Pinot dominant everywhere.
- The film's specific wine choices are praised as accurate. A family anecdote describes freeze-framing Sea Smoke, joining its mailing list before access closed, and receiving cases annually.
- Rex Pickett's repeatedly rejected novel reportedly reached producer Michael London and Payne before publication; the film's development helped the book reach print shortly before release.
- The Hitching Post reportedly became hard to enter after the film. Its owner said at the tenth-anniversary event that wine sales doubled, restaurant revenue quadrupled and the business could buy air conditioning.
- Some dinner dialogue reportedly was improvised, while the performers drank grape juice rather than wine and became sick of it.
- The dinner wines are enumerated as Whitcraft2001 Pinot Noir, Sea Smoke2001 (cuvée transcribed Botella), Kistler Pinot Noir and a final premier-cru name transcribed Pallard/Pollard; uncertain labels remain unresolved. A mother declined an invitation to discuss the wines on the podcast.
- Pickett reportedly urged that Maya respond rather than merely listen; Payne's third draft supplied her powerful speech.
- Giamatti reportedly knew nothing about wine and faked that expertise.
- Church had largely left acting for voiceover work before Payne cast him, having considered him for About Schmidt.
- The wallet-retrieval house reportedly had been a meth lab shortly before filming and was left intact.
- The food served at the mother’s house reportedly caused food poisoning.
- Fake wine reportedly made the cast sick, requiring real wine instead.
- A proposed short podcast would investigate fake drinks, drugs and food on film sets, prompted by the fake-wine story and comparisons with prop cocaine and cigarettes.
- Producers initially wanted Petrus for the prized bottle, but its owner's refusal led to Cheval Blanc.
- Restaurant locations are enumerated: Solvang Restaurant for breakfast, Los Olivos Cafe for the group dinner, A.J. Spurs for Cammy's dinner, and the Hitching Post.
- Pickett reportedly disliked Oh's changes from Terra to Stephanie, including the motorcycle and biracial child; in retaliation his Vertical sequel describes the character as a Reno prostitute, considered mean-spirited.