Photo courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Many a writer has had a thought like the one uttered by “Jack” the hapless and horny college roommate of “Miles” the haughty and heartbroken novelist, the main characters in the Oscar-winning movie “Sideways,” after a trip to Santa Barbara wine country. “Here’s what I’m thinking: you and me, we move up here, we buy a vineyard. You design the wine; I’ll handle the business side. You get inspired, maybe write another novel, one that can sell,” Jack [Thomas Haden Church] told Miles [Paul Giamatti] in one scene of the film that turns 20 this month. Now Miles immediately shot the idea down. But who could blame Jack for the dream of living in the picturesque setting where the movie was shot? Since the movie was shot on location twenty years ago this month, many a traveler has moved to the gorgeous area sandwiched between two mountain ranges to live among the vines and the vintners who inspired the novel “Sideways” written by Rex Pickett, who wrote much of his book while sitting at various bars, like the Hitching Post 2 in Buellton.
Photo courtesy of Merie Wallace
Searchlight Pictures is acknowledging the importance of the Santa Barbara area to the wild success of the film with a series of events there and in Los Angeles as hulu streams the movie on its platform. For those who want to enjoy what Miles calls the “thin-skinned, temperamental,” Pinot Noir grapes, Hitching Post Wines has partnered with Searchlight Pictures to showcase the wine featured in the movie with a 2021 vintage that comes with a special label to commemorate the film and the Anniversary.
There are also planned screenings at Santa Barbara’s A-lister-filled Hotel Californian, a five-star art-filled boutique resting spot near the beach and the city’s artsy Funk Zone. Tickets to a meet and greet with Frank Ostini and Gray Hartley are available for $15 here, but the outdoor screening will be complementary with drinks for sale.
In Los Angeles, the Santa Barbara Hitching Post vintners will be the guests of honor at two unique restaurants, Jar in Beverly Hills, and Akasha in Culver City for a “Sideways” inspired dinner series…