Pinot Days Chicago - Recommendations?

Jason_T · March 19, 2015, 2:52pm

I’m attending Pinot Days Chicago this weekend. The list… scares me. It seems a lot lighter than the San Francisco event.

Siduri is the producer I’m looking forward to most, and I’m familiar with Papapietro Perry as well (well, I’m familiar with Belle Glos and Meiomi as well, but not in a good way).

Any recommendations on this list for someone who is more on the IPOB/AFWE spectrum?

http://www.pinotdays.com/Exhibitors.asp?Year_id=2015&Loc_ID=CHI

Charles_Kersten · March 19, 2015, 4:08pm

Got my first taste of Sojourn from BerserkerDay 2014. Love the wines…highly recommended

Jason_T · March 19, 2015, 4:57pm

Nice. I’ll make sure to stop by!

mike_pobega · March 19, 2015, 5:17pm

I poured August West at Pinot Days NY and enjoyed:

Sojourn Cellars- ever taste a 96 point pinot? now you will
MacPhail Family Wines–great lineup of pinots all around
LIOCO (had at IPOB NY)
Kendric Vineyards- 2010 Pinot is very good indeed
J. Wilkes- great qpr pinot and an awesome pinot blanc
August West-one of the strongest in room and not just because I was pouring

The list is bigger for your event. Should be fun if you concentrate on recommendations and venture out a bit.

Paul_Miller · March 19, 2015, 5:31pm

These are the ones I would probably target:

August West
Dutton-Goldfield Winery
Pali Wine Company
Papapietro Perry Winery
Siduri Wines
Sojourn Cellars
Trombetta Family Wines

The list does seem thinned down from previous years.

Alan_Eden · March 19, 2015, 10:56pm

Why on the Pinots day link are there loads of picks of Gary Pisoni yet hios wines are not being poured ?

Dont miss Coopers Hawk, that could be life changing

Jay_Carroll · March 19, 2015, 11:34pm

I’m passing this year- lots of the wineries I like are no longer attending. And it turns into a drunk fest, well it did last year

mstockley · March 19, 2015, 11:35pm

In a good way? Or did you miss this ?

Paul_Miller · March 19, 2015, 11:50pm

I’m taking a pass as well. Gotten expensive, lots of drinking (and drunks), but mostly a lot of wineries from the past are not attending:

Small Vines
Scherrer
Keller
Inman
Arcadian

Jason_T · March 20, 2015, 12:24am

I’m painfully aware of Cooper’s Hawk already, so I mentally added the .

Marc_Hauser · March 20, 2015, 12:42am

As another former attendee who won’t be going back, my advice is go early and don’t be afraid to push your way thru. Those other attendees aren’t your friends - they’re pikers.

Keith_A_k_e_r_s · March 20, 2015, 12:47am

It’s been this way the past few go arounds. I went two years ago and was very disappointed both in the price hike and that there were a lot less wineries than there had been the first 3 years. It’s a real bummer as I really enjoyed the first three, but it just didn’t have the magic anymore.

Robert_Ferguson · March 20, 2015, 1:06pm

Try Amalie Robert Estate. A small Oregon producer.

Robert

mike_pobega · March 20, 2015, 1:46pm

I think if one looks at these tastings as a way to broaden ones horizons, going with the understanding that 80% of the wines you are about to taste will be new to you and maybe, just maybe you may come away with some new favorites?? I did with MacPhail and J.Wilkes.

Just a thought.

Thomas_Concilio · March 20, 2015, 3:24pm

Wow, kinda pricey for that number of wineries. While there are some nice wineries, as others have listed, not any blockbusters. Too bad.

In spite of that, I hope everybody that attends has a nice time.

larry_schaffer · March 20, 2015, 3:31pm

I’ve gotta say that the price to attend ALL tastings has gone up over the past two years - unless it’s the type of tasting where they are just trying to maximize the number of attendees there.

Steve and Lisa continue to be class acts and put on wonderful events. The fact that some wineries are no longer attending can be do to a couple of things, including not have representation in that state.

How much is it to attend IPOB and how many wineries poured? Just curious to compare and contrast.

As Mike said, there are always new and upcoming wineries that LOVE to pour at these events and want the exposure - and this is a great chance to get it.

As far as a ‘drunk fest’, I see that in the last hour of almost any event that I pour at these days - especially when some wineries get a little more lax near the end and just want to pour out what they brought (and no these must not be winemakers or owners pouring!!!). That said, that last hour is often a GREAT time to hit wineries that are ‘outside the box’ and now known - folks generally won’t go up to them, but you, as Berserkers, certainly might

Cheers!

Stewart_Johnson · March 20, 2015, 5:41pm

In addition to those already mentioned, I’d make a point of stopping at Cornerstone, McEvoy and Waits-Mast.
About prices – 25% off discount codes are widely available. Feel free to use KENCH15
It is uncanny how every picture posted on the PD site is of a non-participant. They might be due for an update.

Paul_Miller · March 20, 2015, 5:53pm

larry schaffer:

I’ve gotta say that the price to attend ALL tastings has gone up over the past two years - unless it’s the type of tasting where they are just trying to maximize the number of attendees there.

Steve and Lisa continue to be class acts and put on wonderful events. The fact that some wineries are no longer attending can be do to a couple of things, including not have representation in that state.

How much is it to attend IPOB and how many wineries poured? Just curious to compare and contrast.

As Mike said, there are always new and upcoming wineries that LOVE to pour at these events and want the exposure - and this is a great chance to get it.

As far as a ‘drunk fest’, I see that in the last hour of almost any event that I pour at these days - especially when some wineries get a little more lax near the end and just want to pour out what they brought (and no these must not be winemakers or owners pouring!!!). That said, that last hour is often a GREAT time to hit wineries that are ‘outside the box’ and now known - folks generally won’t go up to them, but you, as Berserkers, certainly might

Cheers!

I’ve met Steve and Lisa a few times, and even helped in setting-up tables and such for Pinot Days. They are terrific people, and they put on a great event. You’re probably right - use as an opp to introduce myself to some new wineries.

mike_pobega · March 20, 2015, 6:29pm

Good news, WineSpectator’s ‘In Persuit Of Pointage’ is just around the corner. Nothing under 97 points.

$1500 and cheap at that!

Jason_T · March 21, 2015, 3:16pm

Mike, let’s not get too crazy. Actually since I’m a bit of a dork I built a spreadsheet that identifies where each of the producer’s wines comes from. With that I’m better able to focus on regions that I’m less familiar with (Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands, Santa Maria, anything in Oregon).

I am a bit bummed that so many of the producers are from Sonoma though, because that’s one of the only regions I’ve been to multiple times. But now that I’ve got a bit more focused approach, I think I’m going to get a lot more out of today.