Savoring life lessons, new beers

So I just got done watching “Sideways,” and even though I detest wine, I found that I relate… So I just got done watching “Sideways,” and even though I detest wine, I found that I relate extremely well to the main character, played by Paul Giamati.

I don’t relate in the sense that I haven’t gone through a failed marriage and am still stuck in that past relationship and fall into a deep depression every time something in my life seems to fail. I do relate to the entire idea of being an aficionado of fine things. In the film, Giamati’s character is a wine connoisseur who enjoys a fine Pinot and detests Merlot — in one scene he becomes outraged with his friend and yells, “If anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving, no one is drinking f—ing Merlot.”

I’m sort of the same way, but since I dislike wine, my tastes are more geared toward beer. I know a lot of people who drink their Bud Light and won’t drink anything else. I’m a Miller man, myself, and like Miles in “Sideways,” I detest Budweiser as he does Merlot. But just because I’m a Miller man doesn’t mean that I only drink Miller. I enjoy trying new beers and enjoy sitting with a fine dark beer and savoring its full flavor.

Like the characters in “Sideways” and wine tasters everywhere, beer tasters use their pallets to pick out the hoppiness of a beer, the flavor, the fullness and the overall quality of a beer, letting the aftertaste stay in their mouths to sample the full experience.

Sometimes I drink a new beer and will never have it again. I’m not a huge fan of beers like Dogfish Head Ale or Newcastle — they have too much bite for my tastes and I prefer something a little lighter. Although having more than a few Stella Artois can run up a bar tab, I enjoy the taste of a tall glass of Stella.

One evening, I tried Flying Doggy Doggystyle, and I enjoyed it. Although I’ve only had it one time, I still remember the taste. It was slightly fruity and had a crisp aftertaste that made each sip worthwhile. It had a slight bite to it, but it wasn’t overbearing.

I’ve heard people say that if you work in a bar, you must see “Sideways.” I don’t think this is true; however, if you enjoy experiencing the fine tastes of wines and/or beers, this movie is a must-see. They talk about the taste, how to properly taste test and the different kinds of grapes. They dissect the wine and describe it at one point as a living being. That’s what some people do with beers, and rightfully so, as a fine beer is just as worthy of our pallets as a fine wine.

Of course, I relate to Giamati’s character, Miles, because he doesn’t know what he’s doing with his life — he’s got a large novel that no one will publish and he’s a bumbling idiot around the woman who is smitten with him. I sort of feel the same way, as I am wading through college like a grown man in a kiddie pool trying to avoid the pee spot that keeps coming toward him. I’m unsure as to which direction I’m going, and I have stacks of things that I’ve written that will never move from my possession. But still, there is hope for me because even though it’s just a movie, Giamati’s character finds a happy ending.

And what if that happy ending takes forever to come? Well, at least I’ll always have the sweet taste of beer to wet my pallet.

Let Brian know that you relate as well, and send your suggestions for new beers to try out to bkp8@pitt.edu.