Sideways helped to propel the reputation of the Pinot Noir grape - formerly something of a wine geek's grape - into the stratosphere, boosting sales along the way. So it's fitting that Santa Barbara's the home of some of the best Pinot Noir made in California. Plenty of other varieties are grown here too, to make white wines such as light, elegant Riesling, clean-as-a-whistle Sauvignon Blanc and sophisticated Chardonnay, to reds such as gutsy Syrah and spicy Grenache and Zinfandel. Wine factPinot Noir is a red grape, but it's also one of the three main grape varieties used to make white Champagne. When the grapes are pressed very gently and then removed from the skins, the juice runs clear, not red or pink. Oz on Santa Barbara wine "Pinot Noir has gone bonkers out there since Sideways, but it's true that Santa Barbara Pinot Noir is great; it's got loads of weight and flesh; it's not a mild wine." "We went to the Hitching Post restaurant featured in the film Sideways and met a girl called Amy. She knew everything there was to know about wine and was very sniffy towards James. She served us up these magnificent steaks with the local Pinot Noir." Pinot Noir recipes  You'll have to be prepared to shell out for the top-quality Pinots from Santa Barbara - they don't come cheap and, generally, you get what you pay for. Independent wine merchants are more likely to stock these wines than your local supermarket, and they'll also be better prepared to give advice on finding a wine you'll like. Once you've tracked down a good bottle or two, enjoy your own Oz and James-style steak and Pinot feast with these recipes:
Zinfandel recipesSanta Barbara Pinot Noir isn't everyday drinking stuff. That honour belongs to another grape variety, California's 'native' variety, Zinfandel. Oz says:"Zinfandel is the people's wine, a blue-collar drink; it's gutsy, fruity and has a bit of an edge. It's exciting and as far as you can get from European wines. Drink it with hot dogs or a quarter-pounder with cheese - we had Zinfandel with this kind of food at various truck stops and diners throughout Santa Barbara." Try a bottle of Zin with these all-American recipes:
|
|
|
