SIDEWAYS FILM TOUR MAP FREE-FOR-THE-ASKING

GET “SIDEWAYS IN SANTA BARBARA” WITH FREE MAP HIGHLIGHTING LOCATIONS FEATURED IN THE OSCAR®-WINNING FILM

- From Ostrich Land to Sanford Winery and Solvang Restaurant, Free Map Delivers a Delicious Slice of Santa Barbara’s Wine Region -

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — It’s a wrap! Film tours are a hot ticket these days and the price is right for the new “Sideways, The Map”spotlighting 18 locations from the Oscar®-winning Fox Searchlight feature film Sideways. The film is based in Santa Barbara County’s burgeoning wine country and many local wineries and locations are named in the beautifully shot film.Ideal for the avid oenophile or day-tripper on a trek for trivia, this four-color glossy guide links the dots for a day of play in northern Santa Barbara. Produced by the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission, the self-guided movie tour map is free for the asking by calling 800/676-1266 or visiting santabarbaraCA.com.

Helmed by Alexander Payne, (Election, About Schmidt) who won an Oscar® for the adapted screenplay (based on the novel by Rex Pickett) he wrote with his long-time screenwriting partner, Jim Taylor, Sideways tells the story of a celebratory road trip saluting Jack’s (Thomas Haden Church) final days as a bachelor. A sojourn in Santa Barbara County’s verdant valleys quickly careens sidewaysas he and Miles (Paul Giamatti) hit the gas en route to mid-life crises. The unlikely pair share a heady blend of failed potential and fading youth and a nose for drowning in wine and women (Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen).

From the offbeat to the obscure, linking the dots of the film’s shoot locations is a great way to savor Santa Barbara’s wine region. Key Sideways stops include top boutique wineries: Andrew Murray Vineyard, Foxen Winery and Kalyra Winery, where the two stars flirt their way through a flight of wines. A visit to Ostrich Land delivers 33 acres flush with fine feathered friends and dining at the venerable Hitching Post II is a must for visitors hot on trying traditional Santa Maria-style tri-tip. Other stops include the River Course at the Alisal Guest Ranch for world-class golf with a view, Solvang Restaurant for a true Danish dining experience, and Fess Parker’s Winery, where Miles upsets the apple cart by downing the tasting room’s communal spit bucket!

Avid oenophiles may opt for half- or full-day guided film tours of Santa Barbara—the American Riviera®— (including Sideways sites) via Personal Tours, Ltd. (805/685-0552), Cloud Climbers Jeep & Wine Tours (805/965-6654, ccjeeps.com) or American International Touring Services, Inc. (805/643-5466, aitslimo.com).

Sideways-themed lodging packages are available via santabarbaraCA.com.

For travel information or a free copy of the new 2006 Santa Barbara County Visitors Guide, contact the Santa Barbara Conference & Visitors Bureau and Film Commission at 800/676-1266, 805/966-9222 or by email at tourism@santabarbaraCA.com. Visitor information is also available on santabarbaraCA.com.

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3/2005