Wine

  What is a cuvée wine? How are wines blended? What blends are considered cheaply made versus carefully crafted? Let's dive in!  First, picture the iconic scene from the 2004 comedy movie Sideways. Paul Giamotti’s character, Miles Raymond, heads into a Santa Barbra restaurant with his lookin’-for-a-good-time pal (Thomas Hayden Church) and declares with utter disgust, “If anybody drinks Merlot we’re leaving! I’m not drinking any ***** Merlot!” Poor Merlot. The reputation of a beautiful old-world grape was forever tarnished by One line in a fictional movie tarnished the reputation of a beautiful old-world grape. Meanwhile, the impact on wine producers was very real. Dubbed “The Sideways Effect”, Merlot revenues immediately