Actors Paul Giamatti and Thomas Haden Church taste the spoils of Santa Barbara wine country in SidewaysFox Searchlight/Supplied
“It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” says Frank Ostini, proprietor of The Hitching Post II, the restaurant made famous in Alexander Payne’s 2004 film Sideways. Twenty years after the release of the Academy Award-winner (for Best Adapted Screenplay), the story of two friends touring Santa Barbara wine country continues to draw attention to the region and one of its staple grapes, pinot noir. “There’s no amount of money, no ad campaign that could have created this kind of publicity,” Ostini says. “All these new people have come in and challenged us to get better.”
Filmed on location in California’s Buellton, Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley, the road-trip movie featuring actors Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh captured the sunshiny beauty of the region, beaming bucolic vineyards and quaint villages into cineplexes and TV screens around the world. A so-called “Sideways effect” followed, as sales of pinot noir skyrocketed by 300 per cent in the decade after the film’s release. Some winemakers accused the film of souring the reputation of Californian merlot, but that grape’s commercial success was already falling off a cliff before the film’s pinot-loving protagonist Miles insists: “If anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving.”
Because of its close proximity to Southern California and Los Angeles population centers, the Santa Ynez Valley has become a popular weekend getaway destination.George Rose/Supplied
In hindsight, the real Sideways effect was creating awareness of California winemaking regions beyond Napa and Sonoma and spearheading a growth in wine tourism throughout the Golden State – and around the world. It made wine touring a focus of weekend escapes and full vacations, which helped to increase wine consumption in North America and paved the way for smaller estate winemakers.
Richard Sanford was one of the first to see the vinous potential of Santa Barbara’s windswept hills, which are cooled by fog blowing in almost daily off the Pacific Ocean. He established the 120-acre Sanford & Benedict Vineyard in 1971 and set his sights on producing top quality pinot noir in the region. By the mid-1980s, the area was home to acclaimed wineries, such as Au Bon Climat, Babcock Winery & Vineyards and Sanford Winery, which is where Miles shares winetasting tips with his friend Jack (“Stick your nose in it. Don’t be shy; really get your nose in there.”) in the film. “It was brilliant because after the movie premiered, these places existed,” Sanford says. “People were able to come and visit.”
The Hitching Post II restaurateur Frank Ostini is one of many local business owners still benefitting from the resulting wine tourism boom including visitors that tour local wineries.Jeremy Ball/Supplied
Santa Barbara’s Visitors Center offers a free, self-guided Sideways trail map, listing 18 wineries, restaurants and attractions featured in the film. The Days Inn in Buellton, which was called The Windmill in the movie, rebranded itself as The Sideways Inn. Dining options, The Hitching Post II and Los Olivos Wine Merchant and Café, continue to welcome fans of the film.
Visitors attracted to the region located two hours northwest of Los Angeles are also able to find many more new discoveries. Home to roughly 50 wine producers in 2000, the Santa Ynez Valley viticultural area now features more than 200 wineries and tasting rooms that produce 360 million litres of wine. Pinot noir continues to be its strong suit, but vineyards are planted with 60 different grape varieties.
It’s worth noting that the growth of the wine industry hasn’t spoiled the area’s relaxed beauty. Unlike Napa where the value of the grape crop saw local farmers transition exclusively to wine growing, Santa Barbara’s vineyards continue to share space with walnut trees, strawberry fields and other agricultural ventures.
Its culinary scene continues to flourish as well. Wine savvy visitors created demand for higher-end restaurants, as well as a greater appreciation and use of local ingredients. One of the most hotly anticipated culinary developments is the launch of a partnership between Thomas Keller and Ty Warner Hotels and Resorts. The renowned French Laundry and Per Se chef will oversee food and beverage operations at Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club, including the Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore Santa Barbara, which will reopen after four years of renovations later this year.
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Christopher Waters