Every once in a while, a movie becomes a milestone both personal and cultural. For 70s kids who collaboratively gasped at Darth’s paternity claim, the agonizing wait for Return of the Jedi was a generational milestone. In my case, the release of Alexander Payne’s 2004 film SIDEWAYS personally marked my accidental relocation to the West Coast as surely as it put Santa Barbara’s wine country on the world’s radar.
As a sommelier based in Manhattan in the late 90s and early aughts, my knowledge of California pinot noir was a simple quintet of trusted labels: Au Bon Climat, Bien Nacido, Sanford & Benedict, Williams Selyem and Calera. Where these five California places actually were was murkier; I distinctly remember looking at Hugh Johnson’s World Atlas of Wine and trying to estimate the distance between Arroyo Grande and Arroyo Seco. Little did I know I’d end up spending the next two decades crisscrossing the CA coast.
In 2004, I married my “Virtual Movie Mogul Boyfriend” or my VMMB, which is what my East Coast girlfriends jokingly called the mysterious fellow I’d met via email and who worked for Lionsgate. He took me north to a charming little village called Solvang which reminded me of my Danish great-grandfather and his Christmas cookies. We had dinner at a steakhouse joint called the Hitching Post, and I’m pretty sure we drank a bottle of Au Bon Climat pinot noir. Later, I would be lucky enough to call Frank Ostini, Gray Hartley and Jim Clendenen my friends. Soon enough, the rest of the world would take the same route after the unexpected success of a road trip movie chronicling the friendship of two kinda unimpressive guys.
Payne’s adaptation of Rex Pickett’s unpublished novel was an unlikely hit. Local winemaker Morgan Clendenen recalled that “all of us who watched it being filmed around us and socialized with the actors, thought secretly that movie would go straight to video. We were all just as surprised as anyone that it caused such a sensation with pinot noir.” And Jenny Williamson Doré, owner of Foxen wines, shared that “the Mia character was based on our first employee, tasting room manager, Sandy, who was an attractive lady with blonde curly hair. She worked for us and Hitching Post. I understood from Rex that Virginia Madsen was cast because of her resemblance to our Sandy.” Doré continued that like many producers in the area, “Of course, we were grateful for the new interest in pinot noir.”
What quickly became a boon for pinot noir was simultaneously the death knell for merlot, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Winemaker Tom Farella, a noted merlot specialist, thinks that SIDEWAYS helped California refine its commitment to site-specific grape growing. Instead of planting the most popular grape wherever and whenever possible, whether or not the climat supports that grape choice, winemakers began to consider microclimate and terroir more closely. Farella describes the SIDEWAYS phenomenon as “a cautionary tale, for sure. Merlot became a huge darling in the early 90s. Crappy merlot from inappropriate sites soon followed. Turns out, merlot, like pinot, requires specific soil and climate to be great.” Farella summarizes by saying “SIDEWAYS was an artifact of those events, delivered by a supreme actor. Great merlot didn’t go away but the crap sure did, thankfully.”
The movie’s impact on Santa Barbara’s wine industry is impossible to overstate. James Ontiveros who was then working with the Miller family at the Bien Nacido Vineyard remembers the rush to purchase its ultra-premium pinot noir grapes. “We were already sold out and there just wasn’t enough to go around. That kind of boom and bust is seldom seen, and it’s been a blessing and a curse for sure,” he observes. Careers careened off-course like that of sommelier Josh Klapper who was working at Sona in West Hollywood. Klapper’s very first visit to Santa Barbara wine country in 2004 convinced him to abandon restaurants altogether and move north, much like career-changer Larry Schaffer of Tercero Wines. Larry notes, “I started working at Fess Parker Winery the year after the movie was released. It was amazing how many dump buckets people tried to steal for a while.”
Perhaps no one benefitted as directly as the dynamic duo behind the Hitching Post restaurant in Buellton, who also happened to know a thing or two about pinot noir. And as the expression goes, it could not have happened to two nicer or more deserving guys. Proprietors, co-winemakers and all-around princes, Frank Ostini and Gray Hartley represent to me the spirit of what makes Santa Barbara wine country special. Their outsized SIDEWAYS success never compromised their innate kindness; both are some of the most philanthropic and kindhearted guys in the business. At the 20-year mark, I asked them to reflect on the film.
“At this point we are certain that SIDEWAYS will forever affect us in positive ways,” says Frank. “Every day a customer, and usually several, will ask questions about it. Just this week, a woman from Poland, Katarzyna Piecychna Odunuga of “Taste It All” arrived, and is writing about 20 years of SIDEWAYS. This happens all the time so that we could easily not take special note.” In typical Frank Ostini style, he commented that “But we view these encounters as blessings and give everyone as much time and attention as we can. The enjoyment of fine pinot noir is not a passing fad as great wines transcend time and will always be appreciated, just like movie classics. To simply share wonderful food and wine with family, friends and customers will always be our most enjoyable endeavor.”
Interested in some pinot-soaked nostalgia? This fall, the Academy Award-winning film SIDEWAYS will stream on Hulu in celebration of its 20th anniversary. Hitching Post Wines has partnered with Searchlight Pictures to showcase Hitching Post “Highliner” Pinot Noir, the wine featured in the movie. The Highliner Pinot Noir is always one of the most consistent, highly regarded wines of Hitching Post, and the 2021 is one of the best vintages of the past two decades. This 2021 vintage has a special label to commemorate the film and the Anniversary.
Sunday, September 15
Hitching Post + Sideways Winemaker Dinner at the Hitching Post II
Frank Ostini and Gray Hartley host a 20th Anniversary SIDEWAYS dinner with a signature menu from the Hitching Post II paired with special edition Pinot Noir vintages celebrating the film.
$150 per person. 5 p.m. reception followed by dinner
Reserve with OpenTable Experience
406 E Hwy 246 in Buellton
Tuesday, September 24
Hitching Post + Sideways Winemaker Dinner at La Paloma Cafe
Executive Chef Jeremy Tummel hosts Frank Ostini and Gray Hartley for a 20th Anniversary Sideways dinner with a menu inspired by the Hitching Post II paired with special edition Pinot Noir vintages celebrating the film.
$110, 6:00 reception followed by communal dinner
Reserve with RESY
702 Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara
Sunday, September 29
Taste of the Santa Ynez Valley – SIDEWAYS 20th Anniversary Festival
One of the highlights of the four-day festival in the Santa Ynez Valley is the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the award- winning film SIDEWAYS. Join fans and friends at Hitching Post II, an iconic location featured in the film There will be bites from Hitching Post 2 and other Buellton restaurants, along with Sta. Rita Hills and Buellton wine, beer, and live music. Look for Instagramable moments from the film scattered throughout the venue and an appearance by Virginia Madsen.
Tickets to Sideways 20th Anniversary Festival include tickets to the Sideways Film Screening at Solvang Festival Theater in the evening.
Screening of Sideways at Solvang Festival Theater, 5-9 p.m.
Celebration at Hitching Post 2 with bites, wine, beer and live music, 12-3 p.m. $150
Saturday, October 12
Copia at Culinary Institute of America, Napa
Screening of SIDEWAYS followed by a Q&A panel with Director Alexander Payne and actor Virginia Madsen. Frank Ostini is special guest.
500 1st St, Napa, CA 94559
Tuesday, October 29
Hitching Post + Sideways Winemaker Dinner at Jar
Chef/Owner Suzanne Tracht hosts Hitching Post Wines’ Frank Ostini and Gray Hartley for a 20th Anniversary SIDEWAYS dinner with a menu inspired by the Hitching Post II paired with special edition Pinot Noir vintages celebrating the film.
Reservations from 5:30 p.m., $200 inclusive of menu & wines plus tax & gratuity
Reserve with OpenTable Experience
8225 Beverly Blvd in Los Angeles
