[wine] Sideways: SB Pinot Noir

FYI At the Corner of Hollywood and Vine By Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg Wednesday, July 2, 2008; F05 Due to open in theaters across America in August, "Bottle Shock" is bound to be the next "Sideways": a dramedy that not only fuels the wine craze in America but also creates new demand for featured wineries and their bottles. We'll use our next column to report on our screening of "Bottle Shock," a film loosely based on the historic 1976 "Judgment of Paris" tasting that saw California wines vanquish the French in a blind competition. But first we want to explore the impact that even a fictional story depicted on film can have on wine fortunes. Case in point: Vermont Restaurant is a neighborhood place in Los Angeles featuring a limited but impressive list of selections from small, high-quality wineries. In 2002, several of those selections were from nearby Santa Barbara, including the Hartley Ostini Hitching Post Highliner Pinot Noir. Back then, "we were told by Gray Hartley and Frank Ostini that Vermont Restaurant was the largest purveyor of Hitching Post wines, second only to the winery itself," co-owners Michael Gelzhiser and Manuel Mesta recalled in a recent e-mail. Then the popularity of 2004's "Sideways" brought scores of tourists to this once-overlooked wine region and to Hitching Post's namesake restaurant, where they ordered the Highliner (one of protagonist Miles's favorites in the film) by name. Hartley and Ostini started having a hard time getting the Highliner and saw prices rise before learning that it was "Sideways," a film they still haven't seen, that led to the winery's inability to keep up with demand, which quadrupled within a year. The film's continued popularity has also spiked demand for other featured wines, most famously all of the pinot noirs that fare so well in the region's cool and mild oceanside climate. Is the rise of Santa Barbara wines merited, or just lucky? We tasted several from wineries featured in the film to find out. Sanford Winery & Vineyards: Before "Sideways," this pioneer of the Santa Rita Hills region took a full 12 months to sell its annual production, according to the winery. This year, Sanford expects to sell the same amount in seven months. Made in accordance with its "seven standards of sustainability," the barrel-fermented 2006 Sanford Santa Barbara County Chardonnay ($25) has delightful tropical-fruit flavors with perceptible minerality and a long, toasty, lemony finish. The wine is a blend of grapes from four esteemed vineyards, and its resulting complexity shone most brilliantly with roasted chicken while also working with shellfish and fish. Sanford's pinot noir is Karen's pick this week. The 2006 Sanford Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($34; $30 at Total Wine), which is aged for 10 months on French oak, still manages to stay on the light-and-fruity side of the varietal's spectrum. It's ideal for serving this summer with cold poached salmon, tuna tartare or baby lamb chops. Foxen Winery: Foxen makes some stunning wines. With its notes of apple, the 2006 Foxen Ernesto Wickenden Vineyard Chenin Blanc ($20) is an ideal match for chicken or fish. The 2006 Foxen Block 8 Bien Nacido Vineyard Pinot Noir ($54) is an earthier pinot with a tart cherry finish. The 2005 Foxen Range 30 West ($35) is a merlot-dominant Bordeaux-style blend (also containing cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot) that is delicious with baby lamb chops, yet full bodied enough to stand up to grilled steak. Firestone Vineyard: One of the original wineries in Santa Barbara County, Firestone makes offbeat versions of several varietals. The 2007 Firestone Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley Sauvignon Blanc ($14) is a California-meets-New Zealand-style SB with light grassy notes accenting its bright, tart grapefruit flavors. The 2007 Firestone Vineyard Santa Ynez Valley Gewuerztraminer ($13) is uncharacteristically low on floral qualities and high in acid and citrus flavors, but still compelling. Pair with either salads or seafood. Fess Parker Winery (called "Frass Canyon" in the film): Andrew, who had a prized coonskin cap as a kid, was especially happy to taste the quality coming out of the former "Davy Crockett" actor's winery. Andrew's pick this week is the velvety, full-bodied 2006 Fess Parker Santa Barbara Pinot Noir ($25; $22 at Total Wine). But even the NV Frontier Red Lot No. 81 California Red Wine ($10) delivers impressive quality for the price, so this red blend is one to consider buying by the case to accompany grilled red meats at summer parties. With its toasty notes and nice acidic balance, the light-bodied 2006 Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Chardonnay ($18) is a refreshing accompaniment to summer seafood and chicken dishes. The 2006 Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Viognier ($22) is such a deliciously lush, full-bodied wine, with flavors of peach cobbler (peaches, vanilla, hints of caramel), that we'd prefer saving it to enjoy this fall or winter. Explaining the need to walk, not drive, to dinner at the Hitching Post on their first night in Santa Barbara wine country, Miles told Jack in "Sideways" that "with the wine list these people have, we don't want to hold back." Like the owners of the Vermont, we were won over by many of the region's impressive wines. So don't hold back. Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page, authors of "What to Drink With What You Eat" and the forthcoming "The Flavor Bible," can be reached through their Web site, http://www.becomingachef.com, or at food(a)washpost.com. KAREN'S PICK 2006 Sanford Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir RATIONALE This light-bodied and brightly fruited pinot is a delightful option with summer fare. Give it at least 20 minutes to breathe before drinking, and this wine's sharply spicy notes will round out. COUNTRY United States REGION California's Santa Barbara County WINEMAKER Steve Fennell PRICE $33 GRAPES pinot noir COLOR dark purplish-red AROMAS ripe black cherries and blackberries with notes of powdered ginger FLAVORS juicy black cherries and blackberries with firm tannins and notes of vanilla and gingerbread ALCOHOL 14.5 percent PAIRS WITH poached salmon, rare tuna, baby lamb chops DISTRIBUTORS District: Washington Wholesale Maryland: Reliable Churchill Virginia: Virginia Imports ANDREW'S PICK 2006 Fess Parker Santa Barbara Pinot Noir RATIONALE This pinot is as big and bold as Karen's pick is light and bright. Decant it, or at least pour it into glasses so it can breathe, and the hot, jammy flavors will become velvety smooth. COUNTRY United States REGION California's Santa Barbara County WINEMAKER Blair Fox PRICE $25 GRAPES pinot noir COLOR dark reddish-purple AROMAS black cherries and plums with baking spice and licorice notes FLAVORS earthy black cherries and blackberries with a velvety texture and a dark-chocolate-covered cherry finish ALCOHOL 15.5 percent PAIRS WITH beef, even rare steaks; lamb; salmon; tuna DISTRIBUTORS District and Maryland: DOPS Virginia: RNDC -- ------------------------------ * Dr. James Ellingson, jellings(a)me.umn.edu * * University of Minnesota, mobile : 651/645-0753 * * Great Lakes Brewing News, 1569 Laurel Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104 *