PINOT DAYS STARTS NEXT WEEK!

I LOVE THIS EVENT.  The venue, Barker Hangar in the Santa Monica airport is ginormous!  The only thing bigger? You guessed it – the number of wineries serving their best Pinot Noir. (For all of those “order ticket” bubbles click here.)
2ND ANNUAL PINOT DAYS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GRAND FESTIVAL PUBLIC TASTING
Saturday, January 15, 2011 2:00pm-6:00pm
Barker Hangar – 3021 Airport Avenue, Suite 203, Santa Monica, CA 90405 (Click here for map of location)
Cost: $60
Saturday’sGrand Tasting will showcase over 125 phenomenal producers of pinotnoir. Consumers will be able to sample up to 400 pinots from everyimportant domestic pinot noir region, from the Russian River Valley tothe Santa Lucia Highlands, Oregon to Carneros, the Anderson Valley tothe Sonoma Coast to the Santa Rita Hills. Come to Barker Hangar totaste the highly acclaimed 2007 vintage, and talk with the giftedwinemakers who created these beautiful wines. Local specialty foodpurveyors will serve delectables that pair well with pinot.

WINEMAKERS “TABLE HOP” DINNER AT WINE HOUSE UPSTAIRS
Thursday, January 13, 2011 6:00pm-10:00pm
Wine House – 2311 Cotner Avenue, Los Angeles, CA (Click here for map of location)
Cost: $90
Enjoyan incredible, pinot-paired dinner and ten different pinots, as you sitamidst the colorful, gifted winemakers who create them. We ll sit downto five courses artfully prepared by the Wine House’s Chef Todd Barrie,and each paired with two acclaimed pinots. Chef Barrie designs hiscuisine based on the wines with which he pairs, and the seasonal foodsavailable to him. He is known for his creative turns withMediterranean-style dishes. The ten featured winemakers, who are ascolorful and celebrated as the wines they craft, will move seats withevery course so that they are able to share their stories withattendees. This very special dinner an incredible wine and foodexperience, and entertaining to boot. It will be one for the archives!Seats are limited.
Participating Producers
Pre-Dinner Dinner
Melville
C.Donatiello Winery
DUNSTAN Wines – Durell Vineyard
Arcadian Winery
Gypsy Canyon Winery
La Follette Wines
Thomas Fogarty Winery
Clos Pepe Vineyards
Le Cadeau Vineyard
Perception Wines

PINOT DAYS “MEET THE WINEMAKERS” NIGHT AT WEST RESTAURANT AT HOTEL ANGELENO
Friday, January 14, 2011 6:00pm-9:00pm
West Restaurant at Hotel Angeleno – 170 N. Church Lane, Los Angeles, Penthouse Level, 17th Floor (Click here for map of location)
Cost: $28
Sixpinot producers will pour the amazing fruits of their labor and thenew vintage is spectacular – and Angeleno’s West will prepare and passpinot-focused, incredible appetizers. West’s floor to ceiling windowsoffer an unparalleled aesthetic to their fantastic pinot pairings. Addgifted, passionate, colorful winemakers and the fruits of their labor,and what do you have? A rare chance to enjoy phenomenal pinot and foodin an ideal environment for doing both. Eat, drink, and meet thewinemakers.
Participating Producers
Winery Winery
Fog Crest Vineyard Big Basin Vineyards
Thomas Fogarty Winery Cuvaison Estate Wines
Derby Wine Estates Willamette Valley Vineyards

VIP REGIONAL TOURS AND EARLY ACCESS TO GRAND FESTIVAL
Saturday, January 15, 2011 12:00pm-2:00pm
Barker Hangar – 3021 Airport Avenue, Suite 203, Santa Monica, CA 90405 (Click here for map of location)
Cost: $100
ThisVIP ticket will allow you to enter Saturday’s Grand Festival two hoursearly, at noon, for an amazing, exclusive winemaker-guided regionaltour, followed by a private tasting. You will spend the first hour anda half with a regional expert (one equipped with charm, good storiesand first-hand, “insider” regional knowledge), “touring” six famedwineries within a particular pinot region. Featured regions willinclude Sonoma Coast, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Rita Hills, RussianRiver Valley and Oregon. By listening to your illustrious guide andtasting from six producers within the featured region, you will learnthe region’s characteristics very well, tasting the wines and meeting afew of the region’s celebrated winemakers. For the last half hour youcan roam the hangar and taste any of the 300 featured wines in avirtually private setting. The public will be admitted at 2pm, and youare free to stay and taste until our 6pm closing. This is a very rareopportunity to go deep with a pinot region and the legendary folkswhose winemaking has put it on the map. (NOTE: We will email those whobuy a ticket to ask you to select the region you will tour.)
Participating Producers
Winery Winery

PINOT DAYS PINOTS AND GRILLED CHEESE AT WINE HOUSE
Friday, January 14, 2011 8:15pm-10:00pm
Wine House – 2311 Cotner Avenue, Los Angeles, CA (Click here for map of location)
Cost: $25
Tenof our favorite pinot producers will each pour their finest pinots tointerested customers and will talk about their labors of love makingwine from this noble grape. Enjoy some of the best domestic pinots onthe planet with Grilled Cheese! Chef Todd Barrie will create somegourmet versions of this classic favorite comfort food, each intendedto complement the noble grape. This is an opportunity to taste some ofthe most acclaimed pinots on the market today, and to meet and talkwith the people who create them. Space is limited. Call to reserve aspot TODAY at 310-479-3731, ext. 0.
Participating Producers
Winery Winery
WINDY OAKS ESTATE Arista Winery
Cargasacchi Wines C.Donatiello Winery
Fess Parker Winery Kendric Vineyards
Riverbench Vineyard & Winery Romililly Wines
Suacci Carciere Wines Testarossa Winery
Fort Ross Vineyard & Winery