I am amazed and amused when I reorder Merlot and realize I am only selling a third of what I would usually sell each month. On the other hand, my Pinot Noir sales have certainly increased, in fact, more than doubled. Can a movie like Sideways be that influential?

In a prior position in a restaurant located in midtown Manhattan, I cringed at how many of our guests ordered Merlot and or Cabernet-Sauvignon. Now those same people are opting for a bottle of Pinot Noir. Could that be possible?

One evening, a group of well-heeled businessmen came in and as they were deciding what they would eat, one of them proposed that they all start with Pinot Noir or even more daringly, Burgundy! You should have seen looks of distaste and astonishment on the faces of the rest of the party! They immediately dismissed the idea and ordered a California Merlot. It was as if this man had suggested a, gasp, rose wine!!

Times sure have changed! Now Merlot is the underdog. Does this mean that people will try harder to make great Merlot and use less marketing and more winemaking skills? Will it be true that in a year or so from now I will be rolling my eyes when all that everyone orders is Pinot Noir and wondering what ever happened to Merlot?!!