With all this talk of low employment rates, the housing market trough, corporate buyouts of failing producers and the loss of joy in the wine world, it’s refreshing to see more passionate winemakers continuing to put everything they have into their dreams of making great wines they love.  However, in most cases you have to go to where they are to experience their hand-crafted, artisanal juice and do it soon after release due to the small amounts made each vintage.  This is also an opportunity to taste something that’s more likely to be hand made, not manipulated and totally unique.

One such opportunity to check out 7 of these “micro-wineries” will be in Santa Rosa this Saturday, February 4th from 11a – 5p for the first open house featuring custom crush clients of Inspiration Vineyards.  This is a unique opportunity try and buy these wines when you normally can’t since none of these wineries have public tasting rooms or distribution.  Plus, the winemakers of each will be present to tell you their story and talk about the wines.

Sign up here:  http://inspirationvineyards.eventbrite.com/

Experience the small lot, artisanal wines from:

• Colagrossi Wines
• Inspiration Vineyards
• Little Red Vineyard
• Premonition Cellars
• Simple Math Cellars
• Two Shepherds
• Wesley Ashley Wines

On hand will be some small bites and the Ultra Crepe truck if you’d like to pair your wines with some wonderful crepes.

Advance Tickets Includes $15 Wine & Food Credit

Upon check-in at the door, you’ll receive $10 back in wine bucks, redeemable on the day of the event at ALL seven wineries.  Additionally, by registering in advance on Eventbrite, you’ll receive another $5 back in wine & food bucks that you can redeem for either wine or food from Ultra Crepes.

I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing wines from 3 of these wineries and look forward to experiencing something new each time I visit.

Pinot Noir (pee-noh nwahr), to this writer, is the most versatile grape and the source of much enjoyment and memorable experiences in recent years. The grape is fickle, delicate and the most expressive of terroir. Yes, I used that word… I think you know what I mean. So, it should come as no surprise that I inform you of a day-long event dedicated to Pinot. Entirely Pinot. And YOU be the judge.

The main event starts with the 9th Annual Pinot Noir Showdown, hosted by Affairs of the Vine, where the attendees become the judges and “pit their palates against the expert panel.” The Showdown consists of 64 wines from 56 different appellations. This is a smackdown of epic proportions! Furthermore, Tim Hanni, MW will be taking this data and applying his Taste SQ algorithm to match attendees’ tastes with those of the judging panel to see whose palates they align best with.

The rest of day consists of workshops conducted by winemakers, viticulturalists and wine educators. Yours truly will be moderating the panel devoted to Winemaking 101 with Greg Freeman (Hahn), Steve McIntyre (McIntyre) and Patrick Murray (PARO Wines). Oh yeah, this could get interesting in a hurry.

You can also attend the Pinot Noir Shootout Grand Awards tasting where the winners will be announced. Finally, there is a Winemakers’ Dinner with a menu prepared by Chef James Aptakin, winner of the Food Network Caterers Challenge.

This is a can’t miss event if there ever was one! Please pass it on.

What: The Pinot Noir Summit

When: February 26, 2011

Where: Hilton San Francisco Financial District

750 Kearny Street

San Francisco, California 94108

Purchase tickets at this LINK …. OR better yet, add a comment below about why Pinot Noir is your favorite wine and I’ll draw a random winner this Friday, February 18, 2011 at 9pm PST for a 2-for-1 voucher to the main all-day Summit event!

Stay Pinot, my friends.

The lowly interns gathered together amongst the stainless steels tanks having just punched down 7 tons of Russian River Pinot Noir.  Wiping the sweat from their brows and drenched from consistent cleaning and errant spray from the hoses, the smiles still could not be peeled from their faces much to the dismay of the winemaker.  The winemaker strolled over while reviewing their work, which is never really just right.  One can never give the interns too much credit for fear of any complacency that may settle into their feeble minds.  They must be constantly pressed, challenged and ridiculed.  It is the way.

Always yearning for knowledge and clawing for every tidbit of wine information, the interns follow the winemaker like star-crazed teens chasing Justin Bieber.  But, interns are only on a need to know basis.  Secrets are doled out like drips from a leaky faucet.  Then, one brave minion speaks up.  ”Holdredge,” she stammers, “What is best in life?”

The winemaker stops in his tracks and slowly turns, arms crossed.  And, in his best Austrian-bodybuilder accent, he adjures:

“To crush your interns, see them driven before you and to hear the gnashing and wailing of their endless misery.”

Do you wonder how that wonderful purple (or golden) juice in your glass came to be?  Long to work where the vineyard and mountain vistas seemingly go on forever?  Here’s a chance to learn how to make wine in Chile at Lapostolle as a winemaker’s apprentice.  This may just be one of those rare opportunities to cross an item off your bucket list if you’re a wine freak like me.

How to Win

Go to the contest site: http://www.uncorkthepassion.com/ and sign up.  Then you must create a tweet via Twitter, which means you must have a Twitter account, of course.  They encourage you to be creative with your tweet including videos, photos, links, whatever and making sure you include the hashtag #Lapostolle.  Then, using your social media and networking prowess, get all your friends to vote your tweet as their favorite.  Note that votes make up only 20% of the overall “scoring” by Lapostolle to determine the winner.  The other 50% and 30% are based on Originality/Creativity and incorporating Lapostolle’s lifestyle, respectively.

About Lapostolle

Founded in 1994 by the Marnier Lapostolle, known for their well-known liqueur, Grand Marnier.  Mmmm, I can taste it already.  Located in Colchagua, Chile, Lapostolle brings over European and French tradition winemaking approaches and dedication to quality while taking advantage of some of the best terroir in the world.

If you like my video (yes, no music… bummer… strict contest rules) and appreciate my passion for wine, please feel free to VOTE.  Note: an email registration is required on the site in order to vote.

Cheers!

If you live in or near Metro Atlanta or are planning to be in the area this weekend, you will not want to miss this event.  This will be my first, but I have heard from many who have attending these great swine and wine parties to know this is something you do not want to miss.  The concept is simply “5 Pigs, 5 Chefs and 5 Winemakers” and here’s the lineup:

The Chefs – Each will be given a heritage breed pig from head to toe and prepare as they wish

• Kevin Rathbun, Rathbun’s Restaurants, Atlanta
• Sean Brock, McCrady’s, Charleston
• Mike Lata, Fig Restaurant, Charleston
• Todd Mussman, Muss & Turner’s, Atlanta
• Kelly English, Restaurant Iris, Memphis

Wineries

• Gamble Family Vineyards
• Hirsch Vineyards
• Buty Winery
• Anne Amie Vineyards – I’ll be hanging with these guys – come check us out!
• Domaine Serene

VIP: Reserve wines by Domaine Serene and Gamble Family Vineyards, cheese display, oysters and cocktails by DRINKSHOP Mixologist Eric Simpkins

WHEN: Sunday, April 18th, 5:00 p.m.

VIP Reception 3:30 p.m. photo opportunity/ rsvp required

WHERE: 55 Allen Plaza Atlanta, GA 30308

View Larger Map

Host Venue and Sponsor: W ATLANTA DOWNTOWN

WHY: To promote heritage pigs and breed diversity in local and national communities.

HOW: The cost is $125 per person and is open to the public

DISCOUNTS:  There are 2 active promo codes I am currently aware of:

• “swinetology” for $10 off
• “tnet” for $25 off for Juice subscribers (so you need to sign up!)

Get tickets here: http://www.localwineevents.com/events/detail/290633/