UPWARD 'SIDEWAYS' FILM BOOSTS PINOT NOIR SALES.

Byline: Candice Choi Staff Writer

Film buffs are toasting Oscar contender ``Sideways'' in the most appropriate way they can - by guzzling up more of the pinot noir celebrated in the movie.

The varietal is enjoying a starring role in local shops like Wade's Wines, where more than 200 people turned out for a ``Sideways'' tasting last weekend.

``We're promoting it because of the movie,'' said Howard Toles, manager of the Agoura Hills store. The shop normally only gets about 60 people for its tastings.

Across the country, the number of households that have purchased pinot noir increased by nearly 50 percent since the release of ``Sideways,'' according to a report released Monday by ACNielsen. Sales of merlot - the popular varietal derided in the film - meanwhile have remained flat.

Pinot noir has been gaining popularity for several years now, but sales have spiked significantly since the release of ``Sideways'' in October, according to ACNielsen.

``It's difficult to exactly tie the two together, but the evidence is pretty compelling,'' said Danny Brager, vice president of the ACNielsen Beverage Alcohol Team.

Pinot noir sales are at record levels, reaching nearly 370,000 cases for the 12 weeks between Oct. 24 and Jan. 15 - up nearly 16 percent versus the same period a year ago.

Sales of the Hitching Post and Sanford, two brands named in the movie, are moving particularly well at Wade's Wines, Toles said.

``Sideways'' is tipping sales of pinot noir at Napa in the Valley, said owner Nelson Tucker. In January, sales of pinot noir jumped 41 percent from December - remarkable, he said, because holiday shoppers usually drive up December sales.

``We've seen it affect sales (of pinot noir) across the board,'' Tucker said.

In conjunction with this weekend's Oscar show, the Northridge winery is hosting a ``Sideways'' tasting Thursday. Tucker said he is expecting a huge turnout.

Before the release of ``Sideways,'' 1.1 percent of all table wine sold in the United States was pinot noir. That figure has since grown 1.4 percent nationwide and 2 percent in California.

Merlot continues to fare well and still ranks as the most popular varietal, accounting for 12.2 percent of all table wine sold in the country.

The brands of pinot noirs named in the movie are getting particular attention from customers, who also are requesting the white wines mentioned in the film, including Fiddlesticks, Toles said.

The movie has also helped boost tourism in wine country near Santa Barbara and generated anecdotal evidence of pinot noir sales increases, according to the ACNielsen report.

Candice Choi, [phone]

candice.choi(at)dailynews.com

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Characters played by, from left, Sandra Oh, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen and Paul Giamatti toast with pinot noir in ``Sideways,'' which has boosted sales of wine mentioned in the film.