Miles & Maya: Wine Personalities of the Deacde

WINE TALK
1

Rather than propose a “winery of the decade” I am going to propose a “wine personalities of the decade,” and I can think of no one one more deserving than Miles and Maya from the movie Sideways.

I can’t think of a winemaker or critic or winery owner that had more influence on our industry and on the wine buying public than these two fictional characters. Miles said he “wasn’t drinking any ####### Merlot” and Merlot sales dropped and the grape has yet to recover it’s rightful place in the average American psyche. Miles’ love of Pinot and his discussion of it in Maya’s house sent Pinot sales soaring at a time that wineries like Kosta-Browne and others were just hitting the consciousness of high end wine buyers. It was like catching lightning in a bottle! Maya’s soliloquy on old wine is perhaps the greatest big screen moment for wine ever. And if you ever change careers from “whatever” into wine, get ready for lots of people to ask “Are you pulling a Sideways?” or “Are you Miles?”

I bet the number of people who would identify a picture of Miles as being from Sideways would exceed the identification rate of every winemaker and critic on Earth combined and multiplied by ten. I have a few guy friends who went from giving wine no respect to wondering if “maybe there is something to it” and serving now at home, whereas before Sideways it was beer only. Pinot is no longer a cult. I know lots of people who have never had Kosta Browne or even a Red Burg, but drink a Pinot now and then or want to learn more about it. I get more requests from friends about increasing Pinot knowledge than Cab, even now. Guess the cause? Some people may be able to shift the industry but did anyone BRING as many people into wine this decade as these two fictional characters?

Miles and Maya from the movie Sideways…combined they were the movers and shakers of the industry and changed it more than anyone I can think of. They are my wine personalities of the decade.

2

Good call, Roy. After I posted in the other thread agreeing about Alexander Payne/Paul Giamatti, I realized a while later that it was Virginia Madsen’s portrayal of the Maya soliloquy that may have had the more profound effect, on wine lovers, new converts, and how non-wine drinkers might view us wine lovers. Instead of useless winos we are just passionate history buffs!

“And it tastes… so fucking good…”

3

Geez…I did not even know there was another thread naming Payne/Giamatti! [swoon.gif]

4

Guys, Guys, Guys! Don’t you know they were just in the hood to bang our ladies? It had nothing to do about wine. Just two pathetic lushes taking advantage of our fine hotties in the Ghetto!!! And pissing off some long-necked birds!

:wink: