In the fabulous comedy The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Steve Carell (aka Michael Scott, the delusional boss on the U.S. version of The Office) plays Andy Stitzer, a modest man whose favorite pastimes include collecting television and comic book action figures, painting miniature army soldiers, playing video games, and singing Karaoke tunes to himself in the comfort of his home. In essence, he's a nice guy, but one who really needs to grow up.
Consequently, after revealing the fact that he is still a virgin at the ripe age of 40 to his buddies from the electronics store where he works, it becomes clear that Andy's next step towards maturity is to "plant a seed" -- as his friend, advisor and co-worker Cal (Seth Rogen) astutely puts it -- with someone from the female persuasion.
Following a number of hilarious run-ins with potential love interests, Andy eventually becomes romantically involved with Trish (Catherine Keener), a 40-year-old mother of three and owner of the "We Sell Your Stuff on eBay" store across the street from Smart Tech, where he works.
But to find out if their relationship can last, the new couple commits to a no-sex policy that keeps their physical contact down to little more than petting until their 20th date. Will Andy score? The answer is maybe, but you have to watch the movie, written by Judd Apatow and Carell, to find out.
Since the main character is a delicate kind of guy, Virgin is a great film to pair with pinot noir, a thin-skinned grape variety that must be handled gently from vine to bottle. A great example would be the Buena Vista Carneros 2004 Estate Pinot Noir, Dijon Clones (around $37*), a lovely new release made with fruit grown at the Ramal Vineyard, a stunning 1,000-acre piece of estate property located at the heart the pristine Carneros appellation in southern Sonoma and Napa counties.
This tasty pinot noir features generous notes of black cherries, ripe plums, nutmeg and a sexy accent of chocolate on the finish. And much like the character development in the film, this fine wine starts slowly out of the bottle but develops nicely as the plot moves along. As an extra bonus, the big-bodied structure of the delicious wine makes it easier to get through the hysterical scene when Andy has his chest hair yanked out during as part of a professional wax job, a present from his buddies. Ouch!
Buena Vista Winery was founded in 1857, making it the oldest premium winery in California. But much like Andy's quest in the film, the legendary winery has recently gone through a process of rebirth by changing its name to Buena Vista Carneros and taking advantage of its wonderful resources -- in this case the best Dijon clones of pinot noir planted exclusively on its estate property.
As a result, the current releases from the 2004 vintage mark a special introduction of the new styles of scrumptious pinot noir, syrah, merlot, and chardonnay-based wines that winemaker Jeff Stewart and his team will be producing on an annual basis.
More importantly, while the winery may not exactly be a 150-year old virgin on the brink of its historic anniversary next year, it's a great brand to get to know on a more intimate level from this point forward!
* Prices quoted in U.S. dollars
