It’s back and sounds better than ever – Pigs & Pinot 2010 on March 19th, 20th hosted at Hotel Healdsburg and noted Chef Charlie Palmer of Dry Creek Kitchen.  Joining him this year is:

• Tyler Florence (Cookbook Author, Food Network)
• Kevin Gillespie (Woodfire Grill & Top Chef finalist)
• Bryan Voltaggio (Volt restaurant & Top Chef finalist)
• Roland Passot (La Folie restaurant)
• Dustin Valette (Dry Creek Kitchen Chef de Cuisine)

Apparently the packages are already sold out and only a few tickets will be available next week on January 21st.  One wonders if they are artificially creating demand or if it’s just that popular.  Of course, one can’t go wrong in pairing pork and pinot - a perfect combination.  Go to the WineCountry.com Travel Blog for more details on each Pigs & Pinot event throughout the upcoming March weekend.

I love the IPNC… three days of virtually uninterrupted eating and drinking in Oregon wine country with amazing chefs, international winemakers, astonishingly delicious local foods, and a couple hundred kindred spirits who also love such things.

My past experiences at the event suggest that the acronym carries additional hidden meaning.

“I” is for the intensity of the grueling daily schedule of feasting, wine tasting and al fresco relaxation.

“P” is for the unspeakable pleasures awaiting you on lunchtime vineyard visits with Oregon’s finest chefs, during every magical evening dégustation, and on the morning breakfast buffet.

“N” is for the stunning natural beauty of the Willamette Valley summer, which you find on your plate at every meal.

“C” is for the lemon juice cleanse you will need by the time you roll away on Sunday afternoon.

Although the unbelievable food threatens to steal center stage at mealtime, pinot noir wines are of course the focus of the event.  This year the legendary and irresistibly likeable Jancis Robinson will be setting the tone as master of ceremonies, with pinot luminaries from Oregon, the U.K., and France (think Ken Wright, David Schildknecht, and Francois Millet for starters) participating in panel discussions, guided tastings, and the like.  Wines from Oregon, Washington, California, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and of course France afford a unique opportunity to examine the impact of terroir on a single varietal.  As if that weren’t enough, the winemakers will actually be there to talk you through the tastings, and also discuss the impact winemaking techniques have on the grape.  And then there’s the side-by-side dégustation of 2006 Grand Crus Bonnes Mares and Musigny Vieilles Vignes scheduled this year… be still my heart.

The event also features a visit to a local pinot noir producer with Oregon chef in tow… generally this involves a personal tour of the vineyards and winery facility, followed by a lot of wine tasting and ridiculously delicious farm-fresh snacks, followed by a no-holds-barred three course luncheon of local delicacies.  Fortunately IPNC provides transportation both from the event epicenter (the lovely Linfield College campus) and—more importantly—back to campus after lunch.  The ride back tends to be mellow and, well, replete.

Afternoons are whiled away playing petanque, nibbling cheese by the fountain, learning about local soils, and tasting the other members of the pinot family… pinot blanc, pinot gris, pinot meunier, and the Austrian St. Laurent (a wonderful ace in the hole for your next wine geek cocktail party).

And before you know it, it’s time for dinner!  The first night features a collaborative effort from some of the Northwest’s finest chefs, each preparing an original dish designed to pair beautifully with the grape of honor.  Saturday night is the legendary wild salmon bake, where hundreds of whole salmon filets are strapped to wooden staves around a roaring bonfire to cook/smoke in traditional Native American fashion.  The key to success at this event is securing your place at a winemaker’s table, because this is the night they pull out their private stashes to share with their pinot-loving friends, old and new.  As overt physical violence is typically frowned upon, more subtle techniques are needed to score this prized seating.  If all else fails and you are nevertheless outmaneuvered, rest assured you can always make the rounds to visit with them once you’ve finished eating your pound and a half of salmon.  The merriment continues late into the night.

Obviously, Sunday morning brings both a brutal hangover and the opportunity to mitigate your pounding head with cleansing bubbly, a truly fabulous brunch spread, and world class sommeliers in dress jackets and shorts.  If you can stomach another massively delicious meal at this point, god bless you. Others of us are not so lucky and have to limit ourselves to the sushi bar and only a couple of glasses of Argyle.

For those who love pinot noir and want to learn more about the grape’s many incarnations, this event is, quite simply, a must.  Rock-star faculty, all-star chefs, free-flowing pinot of the highest caliber, and fresh Oregon berries every day for breakfast.  What’s not to love?

The International Pinot Noir Celebration 2009
McMinnville, Oregon
July 23rd- 25th, 2009
Tickets and additional information available at:  www.ipnc.org

Whether you make a day trip or spend the entire weekend, you’re sure to have some fun tasting wine from scores of Pinot Noir producers and enjoying local cuisine. 

FRIDAY:
Pinot Festival Technical Conference (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Learn from the experts on how to grow Pinot Noir, make it, taste it and sell it. Mendocino Country Fairgrounds in Boonville – $100/person

Pinot Festival Social BBQ (5 p.m.)
Join local winemakers for a BBQ, music and of course Pinot Noir to taste. You can even bring your own bottle of wine to add to the fun. Also includes an option vineyard tour at 4 p.m.
Husch Vineyards – $50/person

SATURDAY
Pinot Festival Grand Tasting
This is the big tasting event – make this if you make nothing else! Sample nearly 100 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Wines. Also includes gourmet lunch, music and silent auction of wine and art to raise money for local charities.
Goldeneye Winery – $90/person or $50/person for desginated drivers!

Winemaker Dinners on Mendocino Coast
(1) Ledford House Restaurant – Four course dinner featuring wines from Claudia Springs Winery, Goldeneye Winery, and Zina Hyde Cunningham Winery. ($100/person)

(2) Historic Mendocino Hotel – Wine and Appetizers followed by four course dinner prepared by Chef Joe Brown featuring International award-winning wines from Harmonique. ($95/person – lodging specials also available)

(3) Little River Inn – Four course dinner prepared by Chef Marc Dym featuring wines of Esterlina. Meet the winemaker Eric Sterling at the dinner. ($85/person)

Winemaker Dinners in Anderson Valley
(1) A Pinot-centric feast awaits for you at Roederer Estate which also includes wines from Handley Cellars and Greenwood Ridge Vineyards. ($125/person)

(2) Ted Bennett and Deborah Cahn of Navarro Winery are hosting their winemaker dinner at Philo Apple Farm. The chef will serve a regional seasonal menu paired with Navarro’s gold medal winning Pinot Noirs and some winemaker favorites. ($95/person)

(3) Standish Winery will have a sparkling wine reception followed by a 4-5 course dinner prepared by private chefs Rocco & Aimee of OuiCook.

SUNDAY
One final winemaker dinner on Sunday! Renowned Executive Chef Patrick Meany of Stevenswood Restaurant will tempt your palate with mouth-watering courses that Steve Ledson has paired up with his best wines, including his delicious Pinot Noir. It’s an eight course meal at Stevenswood Restaurant featuring succulent Maine Lobster, crab and heirloom beet tartare, and 48-hour lamb shoulder. ($125/person)

More information and tickets, CLICK HERE.

For lodging, wine tasting itineraries and restaurants info, go to www.mendocino.winecountry.com.

Sunday’s Grand Tasting will showcase 200 producers of pinot noir. This is California’s largest single gathering of pinot producers, as well as its most varied. Consumers will be able to sample up to 400 pinots from every important region in California, Oregon, New Zealand, and Burgundy. As Freeman, August West and Sandler winemaker Ed Kurtzman says, “For anyone who already loves Pinot, this is an excellent opportunity to try many new wines as well as some well-established favorites. For those who don’t have a lot of Pinot experience, my bet is that they’ll be in love with this grape by the end of the weekend.”

Meet Ed, Wes Hagen, Adam Lee, Kathleen Inman, Fred Scherrer, Jeff Fink and so many others, enjoy the countless pinots and sample a variety of artisan cheeses & other specialty foods. We will feature a pinot production demonstration in which attendees can learn about the making of pinot from the vine to bottling and every step in between. We will also offer a number of pinots for auction, benefiting various charities.

For more information – www.pinotdays.com

March 28, 2009

Pinot Pathways
Take a self-guided tour of wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountains and taste wine directly from the barrel.  You might even get the opportunity to taste some older vintages for a true vertical tasting experience. Tickets are only $25 and lasts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Tip: Bring your own personal toothbrush if you don’t want to flash people a dark purple, near black smile after you’ve had several barrel samples!)

March 29, 2009

Grand Cruz Tasting
Featuring local wineries pouring Pinot exclusively grown and produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains along with food from a dozen local gourmet restaurants. There will also be a silent auction and raffle with local wines, artisan foods, arts & crafts, winery tours and exotic getaways. Tickets for this popular event are $55 in advance or $65 at the door. Or  be a VIP for the day and take a preliminary sub regional tour with the winemakers prior to the Grand Cruz tasting for an additional $20.  In addition, there is also what is called “Technical Sessions” that are also offered on the same day before the Grand Cruz tasting that offer in-depth seminars by experts who will discuss the sub-regions of the Santa Cruz Mountains and their distinct flavor profiles.

All tickets can be purchased online here.