Twenty years after the Academy Awardwinning film Sideways released, and its Pinot Noir-loving protagonist Miles Raymond uttered his now-infamous line – ‘I am not drinking any f***ing Merlot!’ – the author of the then-unpublished manuscript optioned for the film by director Alexander Payne reflects on the film’s impact. ‘The Sideways effect’, as it was dubbed, led to increased American Pinot Noir plantings and decreased consumption of value-priced Merlot wines. Pickett’s book was published by StSideways Sideways: New Zealand,
