Bring up Sideways to wine lovers and sommeliers and you’ll likely be greeted with one of two reactions:

“I-loved-it-as-a-movie-but-you-have-to-look-at-it-as-a-movie-about-relationships-and-mid-life-crises-with-wine-as-a-backdrop.” (And, yes, that’s pretty much word for word what they’ll say.)

Or you’ll be greeted with a sigh, then maybe a scowl and then, perhaps, a snicker.

It’s funny really that a light-hearted movie about two absolutely pathetic men could inspire such a reaction in the wine world. But it’s impossible to talk about Sideways without talking about pinot noir, the coveted grape that rolls through the movie. Because suddenly, thanks to Sideways, pinot was hip.

We’ve seen it ourselves when we pour wine at Swirl Girl events.

“I’ll have the pinot,” our wine-loving brethren request, anxious for their mellow, cool beverage.

Wine stores and restaurants around the country reported spikes of pinot sales following the release. And merlot sales instantly fell. (I’ll explain that one later). Growers scrambled to meet pinot demand and what effect that had on the quality of pinot, I don’t know enough to say.

Don’t get us wrong, we love, love, love a well-done pinot. Heck, Earthy loves pinots so much she named herself after one of the components of the pinot grape! A top-quality pinot entices, bewitches, and thrills us. It’s sexy, fastidious and sensual. Recently, I served an Adler Fels pinot ($19.99 at Total Wine) to friends at an outdoor soiree and I was smugly pleased to watch them take pictures of the bottle so they’d remember it. That felt good. And well-done, earthy, sultry, seductive pinots taste really good.

But we are suspicious of people who order pinot because Miles, the Paul Giamatti character, loved pinot and it’s “hip.” (And seriously, people, do you want to model anything about yourself after a pathetic dude like Miles?)

And finally, just a word please, about the two scorned wines. Perhaps the most well-known scene in the movie is when Miles screeches “I am not drinking any F##$# merlot!” As if merlot is the worst thing in the world. Good gracious, merlot is one of the most awesome things ever, especially when, say, mixed with 40 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 12 percent Malbec and a hint of Cabernet Franc. It’s also in the most expensive wine in the world. Seriously, don’t get me started. And poor Cabernet Franc, called “flimsy” and immediately dumped out. Cavemen!

Here’s the thing about Sideways though: It brought a huge amount of attention and interest to wine and wine lovers. And any publicity is most certainly good publicity.

And here’s the dirty secret why even when we bemoan Sideways, most of us secretly love it: Miles’ obsession with wine makes us feel a little less neurotic and…obsessed. Because at our core, wine-lovers are all just a bit obsessed. And Miles makes us feel oddly normal.