Napa Valley’s longtime Merlot loyalists invite guests to explore the role popular cinema played in Merlot’s story
October 8, 2026 (St. Helena, CA) — More than twenty years after Sideways turned Merlot into California wine’s most famous punchline, Whitehall Lane Winery invites guests to look back at the Academy Award-winning film that shaped how America drinks wine with Rex Pickett himself, author of the original novel. On Saturday, November 7, National Merlot Day, Whitehall Lane will host a private screening of Sideways at St. Helena’s historic Cameo Theatre. Rex will introduce the film, sign books (with copies available for purchase onsite), and engage in a post-viewing Q&A.
“Sideways was never meant as a verdict on Merlot,” said Sideways Author Rex Pickett. “Miles was a character with his own baggage, and the wine he treasured most, a 1961 Cheval Blanc, is built on Merlot and Cabernet Franc, so the man was conflicted at best. Twenty years later, I’m interested in where the grape has gone since. Whitehall Lane kept making it when it was out of fashion, and I can’t think of a better way to spend National Merlot Day than watching the film with their community and talking about what it set in motion.”
The film’s effect on Merlot reached well beyond the box office. A 2009 Sonoma State University study found that after the film’s release, Merlot sales growth slowed while Pinot Noir sales climbed significantly. Some Napa growers and winemakers pulled their Merlot in favor of Cabernet Sauvignon as Miles’ refusal to drink the varietal rippled through the category. Whitehall Lane, however, remained committed to its flagship Merlot grown and crafted on the Leonardini family’s Rutherford Estate.
Today the conversation around Merlot has shifted: Wine drinkers are taking a fresh look at the grape, and Merlot’s smaller footprint in Napa Valley has renewed interest among collectors and sommeliers. In September, Whitehall Lane launched its Merlot Revival, a guided tasting and seminar led by Director of Winemaking and Viticulture Jason Moulton, that traces the variety’s evolution at the estate through library vintages, current releases, and barrel samples. The National Merlot Day screening carries that conversation to a wider audience, bringing together the author whose story shaped Merlot’s reputation and the winery that never stopped making it.
“Sideways shook things up for Merlot, and the wines that came through it are better for it,” said Whitehall Lane Winemaker Jason Moulton. “The producers who stayed with the grape had to commit to the right sites and the right farming, and that’s where our focus has been. Our Merlot comes from estate fruit and is bottled unfined and unfiltered, so the vineyard shows up in the glass. To speak to the renaissance, our Merlot Revival sold out within the first few days, and it’s been a joy to witness guests catch up on the years they missed. A lot of them are leaving as converts. Rex gets the first glass on National Merlot Day, and I’d like to think Miles would have taken one of ours, too. We hope to you see you there!”
Event Details
Whitehall Lane Winery’s Sideways viewing party takes place Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Cameo Theatre in St. Helena, California. Guests will settle in with a glass of Whitehall Lane wine and popcorn before Rex Pickett introduces the film. After the film, Rex will host a Q&A and book signing. Released just in time for the showing, Whitehall Lane will be pouring their Whitehall Lane 2023 Rutherford Merlot ($40) and bottles will be available for pickup or shipping from the winery. Tickets are $35 per person.
Following the screening, guests can continue the celebration at an intimate VIP dinner at the winery, hosted by the Leonardini family and joined by Rex Pickett. The evening begins with a reception of hors d’oeuvres and Whitehall Lane wines at 5:00pm, followed by a seated dinner at 6:00pm. Seating is limited to 26 guests, and tickets are $185 for wine club members and $210 for non-members.
The Cameo Theatre seats 140 guests, so early reservations are recommended. Tickets for the screening and the VIP dinner are available through Whitehall Lane Winery’s Tock reservation pages.
About Whitehall Lane Winery
Whitehall Lane Winery, established in 1979 and family-owned and operated by the Leonardini family since 1993, is a Napa Green-certified estate located in the heart of the Rutherford AVA. With more than 200 acres of 100% estate-grown fruit across Napa and Sonoma counties, the winery is led by second- and third-generation family members focused on producing small-lot wines anchored in estate vineyards and longstanding farming practices. Known for its Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, Whitehall Lane maintains a hospitality philosophy centered on accessibility and direct guest experience, remaining one of the few Napa Valley wineries where walk-in tastings have always been welcomed. Under winemaker Jason Moulton, the winery emphasizes site-driven winemaking, including single-block fermentations, clonal selection, and sustainable vineyard practices such as no-till farming and sheep grazing. The portfolio includes estate-grown wines across classic Napa Valley varietals, produced with minimal intervention and a focus on purity of fruit expression. The tasting room is located at 1563 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena, CA. whitehalllane.com.
About Rex Pickett
Rex Pickett is the critically-acclaimed author of the novel Sideways, which was adapted into the iconic, award-winning feature film directed by Alexander Payne. Sideways won over 350 plaudits from various critics and film organizations, received five Academy Award nominations and won for Best Adapted Screenplay, received seven Golden Globe nominations and won for Best Screenplay and Best Picture (Musical or Comedy), and undeniably changed the wine world forever. Rex is the author of two Sideways sequels – the IPPY Gold Medal award-winning Vertical, and Sideways Chile. His novel The Archivist was published in the fall of 2021 by Blackstone Publishing, and was immediately featured on the New York Times “16 New Books Coming in November.” Rex is also the screenwriter of My Mother Dreams the Satan’s Disciples in New York, which captured the 2000 Academy Award for Best Live Action Short, making Rex, technically, a two-time Oscar-winning writer. Additionally, Rex has written and staged his Sideways play four times, the most prominent being with three-time Tony Award-winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys) directing in a record-setting run at the La Jolla Playhouse. He also wrote the Book and the Lyrics for Sideways the musical with composer/lyricist Anthony Leigh Adams. A southern California native, Rex has written/directed two indie feature films, and his Rex Pickett Papers are currently enshrined at Geisel Library in their Special Collections & Archives on the campus of his alma mater, the University of California, San Diego. Rex hopes to continue the adventures of Sideways’s iconic characters in other notable wine regions across the globe.
