ALONG COMES MARY

As someone you can commonly find on the Wine aisle, I am always excited when i’m invited to a wine EVENT. With nearly 100 wines to taste, & the best part? They’re all varietals on Pinot Noir, easily one of my favorite reds! This was the scene at The Skirball Cultural Center for the 6th Annual Pinot Days in LA, which happened Saturday & was a great success.

Just what makes a Pinot Noir? I did a little Google-ing:

“Pinot noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler regions, but the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. Other regions that have gained a reputation for Pinot noir include the Willamette Valley of Oregon, the Carneros, Central Coast and Russian River AVAs (American Viticultural Area) of California, the Walker Bay wine region of South Africa, Tasmania and Yarra Valley in Australia and the Central Otago, Martinborough and Marlborough wine regions of New Zealand. Pinot noir is also a primary variety used in sparkling wine production in Champagne and other wine regions.”

And, since we were primarily sampling varietals from California & Oregon, & I strongly tasted a difference while finding it fascinating how much the climate indeed influences wine. From a Wine Spectator piece:

“Oregon vintners aim to produce Pinot Noir of delicacy and transparency. They don’t always succeed; some vintages are too ripe, but that’s the general goal. Some California producers aim for the same delicacy as Oregon does, but you’re more likely to find Pinots that are richer and denser from the Golden State.

In Oregon, virtually all of the better Pinot Noirs come from Willamette Valley, although the grape does well enough in other regions to flesh out less expensive Oregon-appellation blends (and make some distinctive wines with regional specificity). Same goal: light and fragrant.”

At Pinot Days, I was thrilled to be reunited with Wrath. Their Moscato with my scrumptious desserts at San Jose’s Santana Row was a highlight of my trip over the summer, & I had not yet tried their Pinot. I was not disappointed! We started off with their 2012 “Unoaked” Ex Anima; with no new oak (it is aged in a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak barrels), it doesn’t fail to deliver such a vibrant, rich taste on your palate.

Another wine I was excited to be reunited with was Rusack Wineries; with locations in Solvang & Catalina Island (!) they’re truly unique being the only vineyard on the Avalon Island. Their ‘Solomon Hills’ Pinot had strong notes of cherry & orange, which I always love to a Pinot.

While Pinot Days’ event for LA has wrapped up for this year, don’t despair! They’re planning up-coming events in New York, Chicago & San Francisco. Don’t think you’re a red drinker? Take this advice from Pinot Days web-site:

“The point is to follow your palate like a North Star, and experience this beautiful little grape in as many forms and styles as compel you. It is an endless pursuit of knowledge. So, ignore the critics; ask folks in the crowd, ‘Who have you tried? What do you like?’ Pinot Noir is way more than a grape variety – it’s an art form. It is an endlessly fascinating intellectual and aesthetic pursuit for people who want to savor the good things in life. So we invite the world to Pinot Days, because Pinot Noir can change the world, one pretty, little, thin-skinned grape at a time. ”

For more information, check out their web-site HERE.

(*Disclosure: I was provided a Media pass to attend Pinot Days. All opinions are my own.)

(*Photography: Michael Farah)