Local wineries take a ‘Sideways’ glance at Merlot Month

This October marks not only the advent of Merlot Month, created as a backlash to the film “Sideways,” but also the 20th anniversary of that movie.

To commemorate the flood of really mediocre pinot noir that’s been unleashed on the market since then, along with the utter ruination of one of the best grapes out there, film critic Kirk Honeycutt and wine journalist Mira Advani Honeycutt have written a book.

“Sideways Uncorked: The Perfect Pairing of Film and Wine,” purportedly captures...