Chaucer’s Book Talk and Signing – “Sideways Uncorked: The Perfect Pairing of Film and Wine”

Sunday, February 16 at 3: 00 PM 

Chaucer’s Bookstore 3321 State Street Santa Barbara. 805-682-6787

Chaucer’s hosts Kirk Honeycutt and Mira Advani Honeycutt for a book signing of their book Sideways Uncorked: The Perfect Pairing of Film and Wine. 

Description 

Two stories unspool in Sideways Uncorked: the story behind Alexander Payne’s modern movie classic adapted from a most unlikely source–an unpublished novel by a burnt-out ex-filmmaker and wine connoisseur Rex Pickett–and the world of Pinot Noir (and Merlot) winemaking before and after Sideways was released. For as Kirk and Mira Advani Honeycutt show, the movie was a pop-culture phenomenon that dramatically impacted the wine industry. Sideways Uncorked offers a tour of the lush Santa Barbara wine country that forms the iconic backdrop to Sideways, tracing the effect the story eventually had there and elsewhere. With ample narrative and special features (such as a wine lineup of recommendations from various wine regions), this is a one-of-a-kind illustrated book that will dazzle the palate of oenophiles and cinephiles alike.

About the Authors

Kirk Honeycutt is a longtime film critic, journalist, teacher, and author who wrote the biography John Hughes: A Life in Film. He was a senior reporter and then chief film critic for The Hollywood Reporter for 20 years. Before that, he was chief film critic and feature writer for The Los Angeles Daily News. He has contributed to The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Newsday, The San Francisco Chronicle, and magazines including Cosmopolitan and American Film. He taught several film courses at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.

Mira Advani Honeycutt has more than 25 years of experience as a wine journalist. Presently she is the wine editor at 13 Stars Media. Her monthly column “Sip & Savor” continues in the Paso Robles Press Magazine. She is a regular contributor to The SOMM Journal, The Tasting Panel, Sommelier Indian Wine Magazine, and The Napa Valley Register. Her articles on wine and film have been published in The Hong Kong Tatler, The Hollywood Reporter and Los Angeles Magazine.The couple lives in Paso Robles Wine Country on California’s Central Coast.

Praise for Sideways Uncorked 

“The Honeycutts’ account of Sideways and its reverberations is so thorough that even I learned things I hadn’t known. A delightful, accurate chronicle with great wine tips.”

— Alexander Payne, director and Oscar-winning co-writer of Sideways

“A while back I made a film in one of loveliest places on earth. Lead by our fearless leader, Mr Payne, I was so inspired. Rare indeed to have words like those to say. The Valley is a place where, as the sun sets, the hills turn silver and gold. If you ever wonder what it was like, watch the picnic scene. That’s how it felt. So put your feet up and step into the making of Sideways.”— Virginia Madsen, Academy Award-nominated actress and film producer

“An astute and entertaining book about the making of a great American film and its unexpected aftermath in the world of wine. Film buffs and oenophiles should derive equal pleasure savoring the backstories that Kirk and Mira have uncovered in both worlds.” — Leonard Maltin, American film critic and historian

“Sideways Uncorked” is a beautiful love story of Pinot noir. It takes us on a journey that began two decades ago and is still very much on the rise. A wonderful narrative.” — Rajat Parr, vintner and James Beard award-winning author

Sideways was such an unlikely synthesis of the cultures of wine and film. Sideways Uncorked covers it all in such an insightful and comprehensive manner. Kirk and Mira have given us a fascinating read from beginning to end. Frank Ostini, owner/winemaker Hitching Post Wine

Kirk and Mira Honeycutt’s research and in-depth exploration about the unique connections between the powerful medium of independent films and the lasting impact on the zeitgeist of the wine industry, much less our society, shows fresh perspectives. Their book examines how filmmakers – like independent wine producers – are liberated to explore unconventional narratives and have the potential to inspire change and challenge the status quo. Meridith May. Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, The Tasting Panel & The Somm Journal