Winemakers have been saying that the “Sideways Effect” — the phenomenon in which the 2004 film caused a nationwide bump in the sale of Pinot Noir for the rest of the decade — has finally abated, but the bad name the movie gave to Merlot lingers on. Mugsy, a pop-up wine bar at El Rio (3158 Mission Street), is back tonight from 5:30 to 8:30, and they’re devoting the evening to helping Merlot “in its comeback.” The event is titled “Fcking Merlot,” after the Paul Giamatti quote you can see repeated in the video below.
The two Merlots they’ll be pouring tonight: Ray’s Station 2009 Merlot (from California winemaker Jacqueline Bahue), and a 2009 Cerrillos Merlot from Chile.
There’ll be oysters at 5:30 p.m., and starting at 6 p.m. is a coinciding food pop-up, Piadina, serving Italian flatbread sandwiches to go with your wine.
Pop-Up Wine Bar: Fcking Merlot [Mugsy/Tumblr]
