when the stars align, that is when the magic happens, and the wine becomes more thaN just wine.
when the stars align, that is when the magic happens, and the wine becomes more thaN just wine.
Pinot Noir is a grape that entrances and frustrates. It can be your best investment— or your absolute worst. Pinot Noir is the wine that you talk about with all your wine friends, and the one wine in your cellar that you might never open. Pinot Noir is like a junior-high crush: just thinking about it makes you happy without even opening the bottle. We all want our chance at catching its eye— and Pinot Noir will flirt back, but you both know who will always come out on top.
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International Pinot Noir Celebration McMinnville, Oregon. July 26-28, 2013
For 27 years, the relaxing and festive atmosphere of the International Pinot Noir Celebration( IPNC) has set it apart from all other wine events. Wine legend Jancis Robinson describes IPNC as“ one of the most enjoyable wine weekends in the world.”
This is the ultimate weekend for those with a thirst for Pinot Noir and a hunger for fine northwestern cuisine: enjoy tastings, seminars, vineyard tours, and meals in some of the best wine country in North America.
PINOT CAMP
I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to Pinot Camp in Willamette Valley, Oregon. The experience is essentially Band Camp for wine nerds, where 200 wine writers, restauranteurs, and Sommeliers from around the world spend five days discovering Oregon and all of its sub-regions.
I had the opportunity to explore Pinot Noir from a macro( regional) level, a meso( single vineyard) level, and a micro level( plant by plant), studying different tastes from different regions, vineyards, soil types, barrel aging regimes, and— for us exceptionally nerdy folk— different yeast strains. This was the opportunity of a lifetime, and really shone a light on how unique and special Pinot Noir is to each region, person, and vineyard.— Mike Muirhead
Pinot Camp picks:
Underwood Cellars 2010 Pinot Noir, Oregon......$ 16.99
Johan Vineyards 2009 Estate Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley........$ 43.99
Domaine Serene 2009 Evenstad Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley........$ 99.99
Photo by David Warrenchuk
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