Japanese 'Sideways'

Are you ready for another “Sideways?”

A Japanese version of the movie is in the works, according to iht.com, but instead of heading to Santa Barbara, the buddies head for Napa Valley. Why Napa Valley? The Web site said despite growing popularity of wine in Japan, “a lesser-known wine region like Santa Barbara would still resonate little with audiences. And heading to Napa allowed the filmmakers to weave in some local landmarks. ‘You can’t do a road trip in California without going over the Golden Gate Bridge,’” the director said.
Several local wineries, restaurants and tourist spots are featured in the film and the Web site said, “In the resulting scenes each location gets a plug that approaches parody. There are signs visible in nearly every scene, close-ups of wine labels and real-life employees, in bit parts, stiffly reciting lines like ‘Welcome to Old Faithful Geyser, Calistoga, California.”

Unlike the original “Sideways,” this one won’t bash merlot.
(Maybe that means Japanese moviegoers might have a yen for merlot.)

Rosé kerfuffle continues
Last week, we wrote about the European Union proposal to allow blended red and white wine to be called rosé and indicated the French were red-faced with anger about it.

The French agriculture minister claimed France will ban rosés made in this manner, saying, “'I am absolutely opposed to this insane idea of authorizing artificial wines,” according to decanter.com. “In any case, if other countries want to produce such artificial wines, we will maintain a ban on such production on our territory out of respect for the consumer and out of respect for the efforts made by French vineyards for quality and tradition.”

French winemakers already have rejected a proposal to call their wine something like “traditional rosé wine.”

(Maybe the name of the song should be changed to “Nothing is coming up like rosés.”)

Chinese wine with a French accent

Chateau Lafite Rothschild announced it is developing a vineyard in China, various news media have reported.

Lafite is working with some Chinese investors to develop a little more than 60 acres in Shandong Province, which is about 500 miles north of Shanghai.  Wine consumption in China is growing rapidly, and by 2011, consumption is expected to be more than 1 billion bottles per year, according to local media.

(The market has so much potential that Two Yuan Chuck might be a hit there.)

No supermarket wine in New York

It looks like wine won’t be sold in New York supermarkets after all.

The budget agreement reached by the governor and legislatures this week eliminated the proposal, which was aimed at closing the state’s deficit through licenses and fees, according to newsday.com.

“In New York, selling wine is the province of independent liquor store owners,” the Web site said. “The proposal would have extended wine sales to any business that sells beer.”

Proponents of the proposal said the money generated by the proposal is the equivalent of retaining 4,000 state employees who now could be laid off.

A coalition of liquor and wine store associations opposed it.

(Will those 4,000 people be customers of the liquor stores and wine shops?)

Ingredients on wine labels

There has been talk about requiring ingredient information on wine labels, and with all the information that would be disclosed, it would be more like a drug insert than a label.

An Italian Web site had created just that — a parody of a label modeled on a drug insert, complete with therapeutic indications, dosage, interactions and side effects, according to  Reuters.

It refers to wine as an “oral pleasure activator” and recommended daily dosage is 33cl, or slightly more than 11 ounces, to be taken twice at main meals.

It says wine “alters the capacity to drive an use machinery” and interacts “effectively and positively” with lasagna, Tuscan prosciutto, baked lamb, aged sheep’s cheese, among other Italian delicacies, the article said.

The idea was the result of frustration with the myriad of wine label requirements of the European Union.

(Don’t let the TTB see this. It’ll give them ideas.)

Napa Valley ranks high in restaurant wines

Four Napa Valley brands are among the top 10 most popular restaurant wines, according to the annual restaurant survey by Wine & Spirits magazine.

Cakebread Cellars was No. 2, behind Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, Silver Oak was in fourth place, Robert Mondavi, sixth and Rombauer Vineyards, ninth.

The survey also showed that nearly 38 percent of respondents reported a decrease in wine sales, with 62 percent either staying the same or increasing. Wine & Spirits said that Italy, at 17.4 percent of the market, remains the top selling imported wine producer.

For the first time, pinot noir became the top-selling varietal at 15 percent. Cabernet sauvignon came in at 14.7 percent, but cab was the most expensive at an average of $86.36 per bottle.