Getting Your Pinot Fix
It is becoming more and more difficult to keep track of the number of Pinot Noir Festivals that take place each year. There are at least four of them in California alone. And given the surge in Pinot’s popularity as well as the number of new Pinot producers, we expect that they all will sell out.
However, one Festival, by all accounts, is the one you really should consider attending:
PINOT ON THE RIVER, October 27-29, Russian River Valley
This will be only the second year for Pinot on the River. However, it’s location in the heart of the Russian River Valley and with Greg Walter of The Pinot Report apparently devising the seminar schedule, you can be pretty sure it will be an event that gives you that Pinot Fix you need.
Among the seminars participants can take part in are:
Seminar #1: PinotReport Blind Tasting
Seminar #2: Single Winery or
Vineyard Vertical or Horizontal Tasting
Seminar #3: Looking Ahead
The Russian River Valley in 2015
Seminar #4: Regional Focus:
Oregon
Seminar #5: Vintage Focus: 2005 Western Pinot
Seminar #6: Regional Focus:
Santa Rita Hills
In addition, the weekend includes numerous tastings, dinners and field trips. It’s all Pinot, all the time.
However, no such event works unless the producers are there. While this year’s batch of Pinot Producers has not been announced, based on last year’s list it looks like this will be an opportunity to taste the wines of the State’s best Pinot Noir producers. Last year’s list of participating wineries included:
A. P. Vin
Arcadian Winery
Arista Winery
Brogan Cellars
Castalia
Chasseur
Clary Ranch Vineyards
Copeland Creek Vineyards
D’Argenzio Winery
Davis Bynum Winery
De Loach Vineyards
Domaine Alfred
Domaine Chandon
DuNah Vineyard & Winery
Dutton-Goldfield Winery
Failla
Fort Ross Vineyard
Freeman Vineyard & Winery
Goldeneye Winery
Green Truck Cellars
Halleck Vineyards
Hanzell Vineyards
Hartford Family Winery
Inman Family Wines
Iron Horse Vineyards
John Tyler
Ken Brown Wines
Kosta Browne
La Crema Winery
Landmark Vineyards
Loring Wine Company
Lost Canyon Winery
Lynmar Winery
MacPhail Family Wines
MacRostie Winery and Vineyards
Marimar Torres Estate
Martinelli Vineyard
Merry Edwards Wines
Moshin Vineyard
Old World Winery
Orogeny Vineyard
Papapietro Perry Winery
Patz & Hall Wine Co.
Peay Vineyards
Pellegrini Family Vineyards
Robert Hunter Wines
Robert Stemmler
Rodney Strong
Roessler Cellars
Row Eleven
Russian Hill
Schug Carneros Estate Winery
Skewis Cellars
Tandem Winery
Testarossa Vineyards
TR Elliott
Vergari Winery
Vision Cellars
Windward Vineyard
Woodenhead
October is a stunning time of year in the Russian River Valley. By late October harvest should be in full swing, if not finished for a number of vineyards (though with the cold spring we’ve had, who knows what could happen). As you drive down Westside Road you can literally smell the grapes fermenting.
My recommendation is come a couple days early or stay a couple days after the Festival and enjoy the region. Enjoy the restaurants, the backroads, the redwoods, the wines, the Healdsburg Plaza ands the wineries.
For ticket info CLICK HERE
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