Cold Comfort For The Snubbed: Sideways Helps Wine Sales
Because people like nothing more than to be told what's good by intelligent-seeming fictional characters, the moving, allegorical pinot noir speech delivered by Paul Giamatti's character in Sideways has helped liquor stores move product:
"People come in and immediately say, 'Where's the pinot noir?"' said Steve Villani, manager of Columbus Circle Liquors in Manhattan. "After a while, we began to ask them if they saw the movie, and they laugh out loud and say, 'yes."'
The parties then exchange knowing nods until someone somberly expresses the hope that Giamatti is handling the snub without attempting to poke out his eye with a corkscrew.
