The film adaptation of Rex Pickett’s book "Sideways" bumped the sales of pinot noir by 16 percent, according to ACNielsen research. It had a similar effect — in the opposite direction — on merlot, which Pickett’s character Miles disparages in the film.

Those statistical changes are collectively known as the "Sideways effect."

No," Miles retorts, "if anyone orders merlot, I’m leaving. I am not drinking any (expletive) merlot!"

In the nearly six years since "Sideways" was released, that one line has been loudly reverberating up and down the California coast. Sales of merlot, which soared in the 1990s, suddenly turned flat. …Industry insiders call it "the 'Sideways' effect.

Pre-"Sideways," their New York distributor struggled for more than a year to move bottles of the wine….

Then "Sideways" screened last month as the closing-night film of the New York Film Festival, earning nearly unanimously glowing reviews. Now the same distributor is stocking up on Highliner in anticipation of a holiday rush.

Chris Burroughs, the tasting room manager at Sanford Winery & Vineyards in Buellton, also has experienced the "Sideways" effect.