Calendar of Events
San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition Public Tasting (Feb. 20, 2010, Festival Pavillion, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, 2 PM - 5 PM)
We will be pouring our medal winning wines:
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
2007 Syrah, Dry Creek Valley
2008 The Angel's Fare, Marsanne/Roussanne/Viognier, Saralee's Vineyard, Russian River Valley
and maybe a few library wines
We hope that you join us to try our wines as well as all of the other medal winners!
Tickets are $60 Advance, $80 at the door.
8th Annual Passion for Pinot Noir Summit (Feb. 27, 2010, Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, San Rafael, CA - noon to 8:30 PM)
The 8th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout included Pinots from around the globe, from 50 different appellations including Canada, Chile, France, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. Stateside, California and Oregon dominate the wine submissions; however, Pinots also came in from Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Washington State.
Unique Aspects of the Pinot Noir Shootout:
•The most comprehensive and focused tasting of Pinot Noir in the US, utilizing an incredibly diverse panel of experts.
•Just 32 wines are tasted by the experts per day (four flights of eight wines each), allowing the judges to be completely immersed, focused and fair to the wines.
•There’s no palate fatigue as a factor.
•The wines are tasted completely blind without reference to appellation, vintage or price.
The Pinot Summit allows the attendees to taste the wines blind and compare their personal findings to those of the panel’s at The Final Showdown.
•The Pinot Noir Shootout is the only competition in which the judges’ conclusions are put to the test by an unbiased panel of wine lovers.
The Pinot Noir Shootout continues to explore and assess the reactions and preferences of women versus men, in regards to Pinot Noir. Descriptors and scores of the female and male panelists will be denoted, as well as the reactions of the Pinot Noir Summit attendees, in an attempt to discover whether women and men prefer different wine styles.
Details:
Who: Affairs of the Vine and the International Wine Review
What: The 8th Annual Pinot Noir Summit
When: Saturday, February 27, 2010
12:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Osher Marin Jewish Community Center
200 N. San Pedro Road
San Rafael, CA 94903
Features:
•40 top-rated Pinot Noirs in a blind tasting
•Enjoy Pinot Noir Workshops conducted by expert winemakers, viticulturists and wine educators
•Pinot Noir Shootout Ceremony
•Reception featuring top Pinot Noir winemakers showcasing their wines with specially paired hors d’oeuvre
•Meet and taste with top Pinot Noir winemakers
We do not disclose the wines that will be tasted in the blind tasting...that would ruin the fun and the challenge.
Here is a partial list of the wineries that will join us for the Wine Reception. New wineries being added daily.
Amisfield Wine Company Artesa Winery
Balletto Vineyards Big Basin Vineyards
Bjornstad Cellars Brandborg
Brophy Clark Canihan Wines
Champagne Pommery Claiborne & Churchill Vintners
CRU: Mariposa Wine Collection David Bruce Winery
Dierberg Vineyards Domaine Chandon
Elk Cove Vineyards Elkhorn Peak Cellars
Eric Ross Gloria Ferrer
Hahn Family Wines Handley Cellars
Heart O The Mountain Kendric Vineyards
Kenneth Volk Vineyards Left Edge Winery
Lionheart Wines Manzoni Estate Vineyard
Nicholson Ranch Pacific Coast Vineyards
Pegasus Bay Perception
River Road Vineyards Robledo Family Winery
Row Eleven Wine Company Russian Hill Estate
Scott Cellars Shandel's Oppenlander Vyd
Sonoma Coast Vineyards TR Elliott
Ventana Vineyards Vine Hill Winery
Wedell Cellars Wild Earth Wines
Windsor Sonoma Windsor Vineyards
Pinot Noir Summit Schedule:
Noon – 3:30 PM
Pinot Noir Shootout - The Final Showdown:
Pinot Noir lovers have the opportunity to taste 40 of the top-rated wines from 8th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout in a blind tasting at the Pinot Noir Summit. Guests will pit their palates against the expert panel. Each attendee will taste the wines and rate their preferences. Scores will be tallied and compared with the findings of our panel.
3:30 PM - 5:45 PM
Pinot Noir Workshops: Guests may attend two workshops. They may choose from the following:
1.When Pinot Sparkles... ~ Blanc de Noirs are sparkling wines made from black grapes, typically Pinot Noir. Taste some wonderful examples of these wines, explore how these wines are produced. The panel will discuss the process, appellations and food pairings.
Moderator: Ellen Landis, Sommelier: Wine Director: Landis Shores Oceanfront Inn, Half Moon Bay, California
Panelists: Steve Urberg, Winemaker, Gloria Ferrer; Tom Tiburzi, winemaker, Domaine Chandon; Champagne Pommery
2.Food and Pinot Noir Pairing ~ An exploration of Pinot Noir pairings. What works with which style of Pinot Noir...taste for yourself.
Moderator: Debra Del Fiorentino, Sommelier, International Wine Judge and Certified Wine Professional
Panelists: Debra Morris, General Manager, Mariposa Wine Company, Leon Glover, Winemaker, Lionheart Wines
3.Winemaking 101 ~ The challenges a winemaker faces from harvest through bottling. When are decisions made and how do you decide? Three winemakers discuss the "process" as each share a wine that has not been released as yet.
Moderator:Mike Potashnik, Publisher, International Wine Review
Panelists: Eric Luse, Owner/Winemaker, Eric Ross Winery; Patrick Melley, Owner/Winemaker, Russian Hill Winery
4.Discovering New Stars ~ An introduction and tasting of wines from young wineries producing fabulous Pinot Noir.
Moderator:C. Jason Mancebo, Wine Blogger, $20 Dollar Wine Blog
Panelists: Mark Ray, Winemaker, Perception Wines; Bradley Brown, Owner/Winemaker, Big Basin Vineyards; Ken Post, Winemaker, Mariposa Wine Company
5.A Global Perspective on Pinot Noir ~ Yes, it's the same grape. Are the wines different? Find out as we taste wines from three different classic growing regions: Russian River Valley, New Zealand and Santa Cruz Mountains.
Moderator: Sid Sall, Wine Director, Great Chefs of Marin
Panelists:Ted Elliott, TR Elliott; Sal Godinez, Winemaker, Vine Hill Winery;
6.Sustainable? Organic? Does it matter? ~ What effect do vineyard practices have on the quality of the wine? A panel of winemakers and wine growers discuss this very controversial subject as they share wines produced from their vineyards. Moderator: Don Winkler, Editor, The International Wine Review
Panelists: Rachel Ormes, Viticulturist, Vine Hill Winery
6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Pinot Noir Reception
and
Awards Ceremony:
Winemakers, proprietors, and winery personnel will share their outstanding Pinot Noirs and a taste of other wines they produce at the 8th Annual Pinot Noir Summit. Discover the identity of the wines you tasted at the Pinot Noir Showdown. The final results will be announced at The Pinot Noir Summit at 8:00 PM on February 27, 2010 and the winners will be unveiled during a reception featuring top Pinot winemakers and winery owners showcasing their wines with specially paired hors d'oeuvres.
Complete results of the 8th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout will be posted, no later than March 15, 2010.
Follow link to attend entire day: http://affairsofthevine.com/store/item.asp?itemid=82
Follow link to attend reception and award ceremony: http://affairsofthevine.com/store/item.asp?itemid=99
