Staff Report

Fifteen years ago, the sleeper hit “Sideways” catapulted the Santa Ynez Valley wine country into international fame. Today, “Sideways” is a cult classic.

To toast the movie’s anniversary and the wines it made famous, the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance will hold Sideways Fest from Oct. 18 – 20.

“We are excited to produce an event that embraces the energy of and celebrates everything ‘Sideways.’ Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy the wines and locations of the movie, and still have time to visit our tasting rooms and explore our backroads,” said Barbara Satterfield, executive director for the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance and long-time employee of the Hitching Post II Restaurant.

Sideways Fest kicks off with a Friday night “Sideways” screening at the outdoor Solvang Festival Theater, a panel discussion with individuals involved in the film’s production, and a wine tasting.

Debuting in 2004 and filmed on location, “Sideways” is the adaption of Rex Pickett’s novel of the same title. The story focuses on two men in their 40s, Miles Raymond and Jack Cole, who visit the Santa Ynez Valley wine country for a week-long, two-man bachelor party in honor of Jack’s upcoming wedding. They meet two local women, taste a lot of wine, and complications ensue.

The movie stars Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Sandra Oh.

Saturday’s morning bus tour will retrace Jack’s and Miles’ trek. For example, the hotel where they stayed (now the Sideways Inn, with the big windmill off Highway 101), the then-Sanford tasting room, and the Hitching Post II Restaurant and its famous in-house Highliner Pinot Noir. Saturday’s schedule includes time for a self-guided tour of Solvang. 

“Sideways brought well-deserved international attention to the wines and the beauty of Santa Barbara Wine County. We said ‘Sideways’ would come and go, and we’d be here for the next 50 years. Turns out ‘Sideways’ will outlive all of us and be viewed by wine lovers forever. Now we say with pleasure ‘Sideways’ forever!’” recalled Frank Ostini, owner of the Hitching Post II Restaurant.

The festival will hit its peak on Sunday at Buellton’s River View Park where a gathering of Sta. Rita Hills wineries will pour their Pinot Noirs and other Santa Ynez Valley wine producers will join them. There also will be a special Merlot tasting.

The currently much maligned Merlot is thanks to a scene from the movie depicting the varietal in an unflattering light, which caused sales to plummet. Other activities are a “Sideways” Saab photo booth, a food truck court and live music.

“No one had any idea the impact ‘Sideways’ would have on the Santa Ynez Valley. Not a night goes by at the restaurant that someone doesn’t ask about the movie or come in to get their picture taken in the bar, even after 15 years! People come from all over the world to experience the ‘Sideways’ adventure and drink Pinot Noir,” explained Satterfield. “More importantly, it alerted Southern Californians that there is a beautiful wine region just a few hours away. People come to visit two or three times a year to enjoy.”

Details and tickets to all the Sideways Fest events can be found at sidewaysfest.com. To learn more about the Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance, visit staritahills.com or email info@staritahills.com.

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Staff Report

Liquid Farm winemaker James Sparks has released the first three wines under his new proprietary label, Kings Carey.

They are a 2014 grenache (John Sebastiano Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley AVA), a 2015 grenache (John Sebastiano Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills AVA), and a 2016 rosé of grenache from Brick Barn, a new vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA.

Kings Carey entails boutique, small-production wines crafted by Sparks, who said he prefers to “keep it simple” with single varietal and single vineyard bottlings and minimal manipulation.

“I’m trying to produce ‘untypical’ wines of typicity,” Sparks said.

“It’s not that this region can’t produce these types of wines; it’s just that you don’t see it very often. These are not fruit bombs. These are clean expressions of the fruit at hand,” he added.

Sparks started life as a Mormon. In 2009, having already left the religion, he was brought to the Santa Ynez Valley by his brother-in-law, a move which would kick-start Sparks’ career path in wine.

He began as assistant winemaker for Dragonette Cellars, then joined Liquid Farm as the boutique label’s first dedicated winemaker at the start of harvest 2013.

He continues to make Liquid Farm’s variety of wines — five chardonnays, a rosé of mourvèdre, and two pinot noirs — in addition to his Kings Carey wines.

Kings Carey wines are available via the company’s web site, www.KingsCarey.com, and in the wine stores, wine bars and restaurants that are listed there.

Visits and private tastings to the Kings Carey winery in Lompoc are by appointment only; reservations may be made by emailing info@KingsCarey.com.

For more information, visit www.KingsCarey.com.

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“Some of my first experiences with Santa Barbara Wine, almost 30 years ago, were in Los Olivos with Bob Senn and the old timers. Bringing my own brand of hospitality and education (that made Clos Pepe famous) to the Los Olivos Tasting Room scene is thrilling for me,” said Hagen.

The J.Wilkes brand was launched in 2001 by wine industry veteran Jefferson Wilkes and after his passing in 2010, the label was relaunched by the Miller Family, a fifth-generation California farming family, as a tribute to Jefferson’s unwavering love of the region. J. Wilkes, under the guidance of accomplished winemaker Wes Hagen, is dedicated to producing wines from the greatest American Viticultural Areas (AVA’s) on the Central Coast.  Their new tasting room and education center in Los Olivos boasts an experience that gives insight into these regions and their wines.

Setting themselves apart from traditional tasting rooms, the J. Wilkes Tasting Room and Education Center provides visitors with information about the area’s AVA’s including Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills and Paso Robles. Guests will learn about the influence of each region through tastings, discussions and by way of detailed maps and soil samples. Another entertaining aspect for tasters will be the opportunity to participate in the J. Wilkes ‘quiz’ with answers found throughout the space and winners awarded with a discount on their purchase.

Perhaps the biggest, most unique highlight of this new tasting room will be the “Winemaker Office Hours” hosted by Hagen himself. Visitors will have the opportunity to make “an appointment” with the winemaker to gain a greater understanding of J. Wilkes wines and California’s Central Coast winegrowing region.

The wines being poured range from the core J. Wilkes production of current vintage Santa Maria Valley Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc, as well as some special tasting-room-only offerings including the J. Wilkes Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir and the Santa Maria Valley Late Harvest Pinot Blanc. A Paso Robles Highlands Zinfandel and Chanda’s Reserve Pinot Noir will be offered in the coming months.  To round out the experience, the tasting room will occasionally feature rare library wines made by Jefferson Wilkes himself.

“Come into the J. Wilkes Wine Tasting Room and Education Center and let us show you how we’re pouring some of the best wines in the county and providing fun and meaningful lessons on the history and breadth of the Santa Barbara and Paso Robles American Viticultural areas,” Hagen added.

The J. Wilkes Tasting Room and Education Center is located on the main street of Los Olivos at 2963 Grand Avenue.  Tasting Room hours 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.

To learn more about J. Wilkes Wines and their new Los Olivos Tasting Room, please visit www.jwilkes.com.

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