If you’re throwing an Oscar party, there are two things to remember. “Serve hot food and make sure you have plenty to drink because it’s a long show.”…
The one Best Picture-inspired party favor everyone can get behind is pinot noir, the wine that Paul Giamatti loves so much in “Sideways.”
“Thanks to ‘Sideways,’ pinot should get its own Oscar,” says Mark Oldman, author of “Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine.”
“It was the fifth leading character of that movie,” he says. “Never before has there been a movie that qualifies as wine porn. This was a wine lover’s dream movie. The wine appreciation was so glamorous and attractive.”
If you want to pick up your own pinots, you can get some ideas today at Union Square Wines (33 Union Square West, at 16th Street; [212] 675-8100).
The shop pulls out about three dozen wines every Saturday for a free “mega-tasting,” but this week it will emphasize the pinots; there will be at least five you can try.
Or sample Oldman’s five favorite pinots, all from California: the 2000 Calera, 2003 Babcock Tri-Counties, 2001 Sanford, 2001 Hinman Vineyards and 2001 Baileyana.
You can find many of the wines at Union Square. Also try Acker Merall & Condit (160 W. 72nd St. near Broadway; [212] 787-1700), Morrell’s (1 Rockefeller Plaza between Fifth and Sixth avenues; [212] 262-7700) or the Chelsea Wine Vault ([212] 462-4244), just across the hall from Eleni’s in the Chelsea Market.
As every “Sideways” fan knows, the pinot grape is fragile and sensitive. It can’t hold up to spicy and heavy cheeses, Oldman says, so serve it with mild cheeses such as brie and pecorino.
And no merlot, kids.