Held this coming weekend, May 15-17, this wonderful, still smallish, intimate and delightful event is a winner. Thanks to my friend, Burt Williams, I `ve been going the past few years and enjoyed it immensely. Of course, staying with Burt and drinking copious amounts of his wine, some from both of our cellars, helps to embellish the experience.
Any board members going, please let me know and we`ll say “hey”.
How can one attend this?
Go to www.avwines.com. I’ll be at the tech conference on Friday and most likely the grand tasting on Saturday…
I’ve gone to taste for Grape-Nutz.com the past couple of years (and poured there for Harrington Wines a couple of times before that):
Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival 17th Annual Tasting – May 17, 2014
Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival 16th Annual Tasting – May 18, 2013
Really fun tasting - highly recommended! Bummed that I can’t make it this year.
I cannot, of course, and unfortunately, make it to this, will be in Modesto, Paso and SF portions of my trip, but will have to plan for it one of these years. I do really like AV wines and, based on the last time I was there long ago, the people who make them. Gives us yet another topic to chat about tonight, Blake.
maluhia,
Mike
Casey, thanks for providing the link to the festival.
Mike, we shall indeed have much to chat about.
Blake,
I was just up there…stayed at the luxurious Philo Motel…be careful if somebody asks if you want to step outside for a smoke…M.
I will be at the fairgrounds on Friday, grand tasting on Saturday and at our open house on Sunday. Our vineyard is the vineyard focus this year during the Friday technical seminar. Well have my father-in-law the owner/farmer of Charles Vineyard Bill Charles give some background, Erich Bradley (also of Sojourn) representing Pangloss, David Low(also of Anthill) representing Papapietro-Perry and Withers winery, as well as I of Foursight. Well all be pouring 2 different SVD’s from the vineyard.
It will be great weather to taste PN, cloudy and cool. The BBQ Friday night will be fun as always. The grand tasting event is up to 53 producers pouring for 600 sold tickets. I will be pouring 3 new release 2012’s as well as a 2013 Unoaked PN and my first version of Paraboll, the reserve blend I did for years for the Londer’s.
Everyone with a site in the valley will be having an open house on Sunday. They are all free and loads of fun. Were doing several hundred oysters, and a whole leg of prosciutto among other bites and of course lots of wine.
Hi Mel,
Thanks for the “heads” up. Ill be extremely cautious. BTW, Im staying with Burt. We might just have a little pinot noir.
Hi Joe, I`ll look forward to tasting some of your wines and if we make it on Sunday, some of the leg.
Blake,
I think Mr Williams did light shows back in the day. You need a bodyguard.
M
Do you want to volunteer?
Blake,
You need somebody bigger…Mr and mrs Burt would be the end of me…In any case, I have family plans then…M
I would be interested in attending this with my girlfriend. Looks like it is sold out. Whaa.
Sorry to hear it sold out before you could get in. It is the number count that insures this to be more on the intimate side, a good thing, but requires planning in advance evidently. If interested, get on their mailing list and avoid any issues next year.
Roy if your still interested PM me your phone and email. Im sure I can set you up with 2 tickets.
Funny to be driving around the valley the last couple of days. Just about every winery in the valley putting the final touches on their property. Crews with weedeaters everywhere. Sure glad I don’t have to impress anyone this week. Not that I don’t understand what folks need to do, just glad I’m not on the retail end of the business.
Joe: I just might absolutely kill someone in order to be able try this. Sounds awesome, surprised it hasn’t been done before (that I am aware of, at least).
Again Casey you are so right on all of us putting on the new coat of clean for this week. Ill take looking to impress pinotfiles any day over having to impress winemakers all year long. Assuming they pay their bills to you on time though if not, in which case they will try to impress you for part of the year with where there traveling (FR/Ger/NZ/etc.) so that they can’t return calls or emails or pay bills on time like they don’t have phone/email or internet anywhere but the good old USA.
Tran, its a fun good exciting wine to have made. Its done really well with folks in the tasting room the last few weeks. You won’t have to kill for it, its way easier to get than that! It has not been done in CA but not the way I did it. Many have done the carbonic route basically making beajoulas nouvearu style. One in CA did a non malo, bottled early released early spring style.
I did the same thing as far as picking and fermenting (estate fruit, wild yeast/ml, 40% whole cluster in bottom of bin, no nutes/enzymes, not temp adjustment, no fining/filtering) just aged in tank and bottled in Aug. with the rest of the PN’s. I also have a “Zero”% new oak and 40% new 60% older blend (Charles). PM me if you want a coupon code for berserker pricing/cheap/free shipping on a couple/few bottles of the unoaked or the others to compare it to.
Driving in now. As posted there’s a lot of evidenced sprucing up everywhere. The valley is beautiful
Blake
