Welcome to Pinot Patty's news! This is my new Blog area where I'll be telling you about Pinot Noirs that I've tasted and up coming events not to be missed.
1/1/2013, Tuesday I've been writing my Pinot Noir Newsletter for ten years. It's been a wonderful experience with so much help and encouragement from so many friends. I've decided to retire from writing about Pinot Noir; but plan to maintain my website for atleast a year. Thanks for all of your support over the last ten years.
7/18/2012, Wednesday Chefs may be able to offer foie gras after July 1 ban Loopholes in California's foie gras ban may allow chefs to continue serving the delicacy beyond the July 1 start date. Producing and selling the enlarged duck and goose livers will be banned, but chefs can give away free samples of the dish or prepare foie gras brought in by customers who purchased it out of state. "The law is not against possessing it. It’s against producing it or selling it in California," said Laurel Pine, owner of Mirepoix USA, an online foie gras retailer.
7/16/2012, Tuesday Riedel to develop range of tea glasses Austrian glassmaker Riedel has announced a new partnership - with a specialist tea importer.
7/16/2012, Monday Etienne de Montille buys Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet Etienne de Montille of Domaine de Montille in Burgundy has bought Chateau de Puligny-Montrachet from the French bank Credit Foncier.
7/15/2012, Sunday California bans foie gras; Europe fights on As California’s foie gras ban finally comes into force on 1 July, European opponents of the delicacy face an uphill battle to persuade the public against it.
7/14/2012, Saturday Pinot & Pooches at Van Duzer Vineyards http://www.vanduzer.com/ July 21, 12:00 - 3:00PM – At the Winery Cost : $15.00 - Wine Club Member Discount : $5.00 each on a max. of 2 persons
7/13/2012, Friday Organic-wine tutors raise the bar Five of Marlborough's leading wine industry experts will soon be teaching the art of organic-wine production through a new viticulture course at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology
7/12/2012, Thursday 'Oldest wine' discovered in China A 3000-year-old wine is thought to have been discovered in China, according to the Xinhua news agency.
7/11/2012, Wednesday French merchants boycott Californian wine in outrage at foie gras ban Wine merchants in Gascony in southwest France are taking Californian wines off the shelves in retaliation for the foie gras ban.
6/30/2012, Saturday Record-Breaking Wine: What Does $168,000 Taste Like? Today, the Australian winery Penfolds announced the world's most expensive wine sold directly from a winery, eloquently dubbed '2004 Block 42.' The $168,000 wine is a produced from a single vineyard, from what the winery claims are the oldest continuously producing Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world.
6/29/2012, Saturday Decanter relaunches Buying Guide with 100-point scale Decanter is to re-launch its Buying Guide section in a move which will see, for the first time, the magazine including the 100-point scale.
6/25/2012, Monday Ancient French vines given heritage status A plot of 200-year-old French vines has just been classified a Monument Historique, the first time a vineyard has been awarded the distinction.
6/15/2012, Friday Four directors of Maison Laboure-Roi, the 180-year-old Burgundy negociant house, have been accused of various counts of wine fraud.
6/12/2012, Tuesday Bordeaux's Chateau Larrivet Haut-Brion has experimented with ageing one barrel of its 2009 wine partially submerged in the sea.
6/8/2012, Friday Waipara Springs Pinot Noir Represents The Commonwealth On Royal Barge As Royal Family Participate In The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant
6/1/2012, Monday my doctor recently said: "Consuming wine in moderation daily helps people to die young as late as possible".
5/31/2012, Thursday China overtakes UK and US as number one visitors on Decanter.com The number of visitors from China to Decanter.com has surpassed both the UK and US for the first time.
5/30/2012, Wednesday EU-produced organic wines have won the right to use the label 'Organic Wine' or 'Vin Biologique'.
5/29/2012, Tuesday Pinot Days, Grand Festival, Fort Mason, San Francisco, June 16th. www.pinotdays.com for tickets.
5/28/2012, Monday A Celebration of Pinot & Pizza at J Vineyards & Winery. Saturday, June 16, 2012 -- 11am to 4:30 pm www.jwine.com
9/3/2011, Saturday Friday, Sept. 9th 1pm - 4pm Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Tasting at Little River Inn Winesong kicks off with an exclusive tasting. Meet and mingle with the Anderson Valley Winemakers and enjoy small bites at a seaside setting overlooking the spectacular Pacific Coast. Savor this elegant opportunity in an informal setting to evaluate new Anderson Valley Pinot Noir and to learn how this classic wine improves with age.
9/2/2011, Friday A new study suggests a compound found in red wine can counter the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
9/1/2011, Thursday Premium winemaking in Napa Valley could be impossible in 30 years according to a study into climate change.
8/31/2011, Wednesday Vignerons in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne have alread cancelled holidays in order to manage harvests that will be starting weeks earlier than normal.
8/30/2011, Tuesday An increasing number of Margaret River grape growers are being forced to abandon the region, as plummeting demand combined with an oversupply of grapes has led to losses in the industry.
8/29/2011, Monday In five years' time the most important wine brands in China will be mid-market wines from the New World, a major importer has said.
8/26/2011, Friday A First Growths-only retailer is due to open in Taipei – the first of 10 similar shops to be rolled out by the end of 2012. The first of the stores – called Impériale Bordeaux – will open on June 30.
8/25/2011, Thursday Jeff Clarke, the new winemaker at New Zealand’s Ara, intends to keep the unique style of the winery while making it more of a ‘standout’ wine.
6/16/2011, Thursday A top Oregon Pinot producer hires its third winemaker in three years. When Erik Kramer took the reins last month as the new winemaker at Oregon's Domaine Serene, he became the winery's third in just over three years.
6/15/2011, Wednesday Asian wine producers spotlighted at international wine competition. A Chinese winery was honored with one of the highest awards at this year's Decanter World Wine Awards Tuesday, signaling the country's burgeoning reputation not only as a wine-drinking nation but a wine-producing one as well.
6/14/2011, Tuesday Long-held beliefs about wine may not always be true. One old chestnut of a misconception is that aged wine is better than young. Most mainstream wines are made in styles suited to early consumption, which mean few will improve over time.
6/21/2011, Tuesday If you're one of the millions of Canadians who suffer from food allergies, a new law will ensure you do not have to worry about potential allergens when drinking wine. Starting next year, some wines will carry a warning label with the words "Contains Eggs, Fish, or Dairy," as well as a sulfite declaration.
6/20/2011, Monday Campaigners for direct wine shipments in the US have had a mixed month, with Maryland poised to allow shipments (July 1, 2011), but Delaware refusing even to debate the issue.
6/17/2011, Friday A 200-year-old bottle of Champagne recovered from a Baltic shipwreck has fetched a record price at auction. The bottle – identified as Veuve Clicquot- was part of a cache of 168 bottles found last summer in a wrecked schooner dating from 1825-30 in Finland's Åland archipelago. It was sold to an anonymous bidder from Singapore for €30,000 (£26,700)
6/13/2011, Monday Tiny pinot maker wins big gold. Specialist Wairarapa pinot noir maker Wycroft has been awarded one of only 18 gold medals globally in the 28th annual London International Wine Challenge (IWC).
6/10/2011, Friday Corks could slow ageing in wine. Natural corks may release phenolic compounds which can slow the ageing process and increase the health benefits of wine, according to Paulo Lopes, oenologist and member of Amorim's R&D team.
6/9/2011, Thursday Peregrine Salmanazar Soars To New Heights. A unique 9 litre Salmanazar of 2009 Peregrine Pinot Noir attracted a winning bid of $5000 at auction at the recent ASB Otago Sports Awards, with proceeds going to the Halberg Sport Opportunity programme.
6/8/2011, Wednesday New Zealand wins Trans Tasman Pinot 7s. New Zealand has won the Trans Tasman Pinot 7s with Grasshopper Rock and Ata Rangi being placed in the top three Pinots. Grasshopper Rock managing director, Phil Handford says this is great news for Grasshopper Rock and comes on the back of numerous gold medals.
6/7/2011, Tuesday U.S. wine sales rebound. After a two-year slump, domestic wine retail sales in 2010 increased 7% from the prior year; U.S. wine exports jumped 26%. And for the first time, the U.S. consumed more wine than France.
6/6/2011, Monday Shaw + Smith invest in Tasmania With mainstream Australian wine regions having been beset by drought and fire, the cooler island conditions of Tasmania to the south have taken on increasing allure - not least because of the quality of fizz and Pinot Noir now emerging from its lush green slopes.
6/3/2011, Friday Francis Ford Coppola is actively working to produce more elegant, lower-alcohol wines at his re-named Inglenook winery.
6/2/2011, Thursday Christie's is claiming a world record auction price for a single bottle of red Burgundy. At the auction on 17 May at Christie’s Geneva a private American buyer bid US$123,889 (€87,815) for a single 75cl bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti 1945.
6/1/2011, Wednesday Chateau Lafite Rothschild is reducing pesticide and fungicide use under a green charter to be implemented at all Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite) properties.
5/31/2011, Tuesday Q: I'm on a diet and would like to know what kind of low-calorie foods pair well with Pinot Noir. —Leon H., Wesley Chapel, Fla. A: Luckily for you, Pinot Noir is extremely versatile when it comes to food. Salmon is a classic pairing, as are mushrooms. I've had some great pairings with Indian food, and with leaner meats like chicken and turkey. Earthy flavors, including root vegetables, quinoa, lentils and spinach are another direction to go in. Also, a pinch of an aromatic spice like cinnamon or cloves will make many foods more Pinot Noir-friendly. —MaryAnn Worobiec, The Wine Spectator
5/27/2011, Friday Steven Spurrier has been inducted into the Wine Media Guild of New York's Hall of Fame.
5/26/2011, Thursday Roberson slashes fine wine prices London wine merchant Roberson has become the latest retailer to shake up how it sells fine wine - it will now offer wines over GBP100 at 'eye-wateringly competitive' wholesale prices in its Kensington store.
5/25/2011, Wednesday Moet Hennessy in joint venture for Chinese bubbly Chinese consumers who have developed a taste for champagne may soon get a locally produced alternative thanks to a joint venture by leading French producer Moet Hennessy (LVMH.PA) with a Chinese agricultural company.
5/24/2011, Tuesday For those in New Zealand -- 2011 Gamebird Food Festival http://www.gamebirdfoodfestival.co.nz/gamebirdfoodfestival/
5/13/2011, Friday James Beard Award for OUTSTANDING WINE SERVICE goes to The Modern, NYC, Belinda Chang
5/11/2011, Wednesday Food Truck Fridays at Iron Horse June - September, 2011 Iron Horse has invited some of the Bay Area’s best gourmet food trucks to come to the winery – one each Friday starting June 3rd through September 30th from 11am to 3:30pm to sell their delicious fare for you to enjoy with Iron Horse wines by the glass or by the bottle in the gazebo dropped down below the winery. The exact line-up has not been finalized, but the full schedule will soon be publicized on our website, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, please contact Damon Wong (damon@ironhorsevineyards.com) and Lisa Macek (lisa@ironhorsevineyards.com).
5/6/2011, Friday Two bottles of Champagne, which lay for 200 years in the Baltic Sea, are to be auctioned in Finland in June. They are part of a cache of 168 bottles found last summer in a wrecked schooner dating from the second quarter of the 19th century, in Finland's Åland archipelago.
5/5/2011, Thursday California's Central Coast may have lost up to 50% of its grape crop after one of the worst spring frosts in history. With freezing temperatures between 8 and 10 April, initial estimates indicate a 30-50% crop loss, according to the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.
5/3/2011, Tuesday J Vineyards is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. They make wonderful sparkling wines from Pinot Noir. www.jwine.com
5/2/2011, Monday For the first time in Australia’s wine history, pinot noir is now outselling both shiraz and cabernets in some of their upmarket wine outlets according to John Jens.
4/30/2011, Saturday Wine Drinking Linked to Lower Risk of Tremors Mention essential tremor, and most people give you a blank look. But for nearly 5 percent of seniors, uncontrollable trembling is a part of life. The good news, a current study suggests, is a lifetime of drinking red wine significantly reduces the risk of essential tremor, the official name for a pattern of involuntary, continuous movements that intensify with age.
4/28/2011, Wednesday Jess Jackson, a titan of the California wine industry died today at his home in Geyserville, California after a long battle with cancer. He was 81 years old. Building on his highly successful Kendall-Jackson brand, Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke built a prestigious empire of wineries in California and abroad, including Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates, Cambria, Stonestreet, Edmeades, La Crema, Cardinale, Lokoya, Hartford Family Winery, Verite, Atalon, Carmel Road, Murphy Goode, La Jota, Freemark Abbey, Bryon Estates and Arrowood in the United States; Chateau Lassegue in France; Tenuta di Arceno in Italy; Yangarra in Australia; and Calina in Chile.
4/27/2011, Tuesday Highlands Fling in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, CA. Saturday, May 14 - 1 to 4 pm at the Boekenoogen Winery, 33520 Fairview Road, Gonzales $85 per person. http://www.santaluciahighlands.com/events
4/26/2011, Tuesday Pol Roger will be the official Champagne at the Royal Wedding next week.
4/25/2011, Monday Noma, the celebrated Danish restaurant, has been named the World’s Best Restaurant for the second year running.
4/3/2011, Sunday It's time to sign up for the 4th Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine on April 28 through May 1. http://www.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com/
4/1/2011, Friday Monterey County, CA - Morgan Winery is one of the most requested brands by America's diners. The results from Wine & Spirits 22nd Annual Restaurant Poll show that Morgan's "Twelve Clones" Pinot Noir is one of the top 25 most demanded Pinot Noirs in U.S. restaurants.
3/25/2011, Friday Selling wine by the glass is hot, but having half-empty bottles left over is not, something that has prompted restaurants and bars to explore new delivery systems from sophisticated preservation devices to kegs that keep wine on tap.
3/24/2011, Thursday Alex Gambal, proprietor of Beaune negociant Maison Gambal, has purchased vines within a Montrachet Grand Cru – becoming the first non-Frenchman to own land in a Montrachet site. Alex is an American and he makes very good Burgundies at affordable prices.
3/23/2011, Wednesday A 1998 Martinborough Reserve Pinot Noir from New Zealand ranked First in a World Pinot Ranking held on March 15, 2010 in Pasadena California. At $80 a bottle the Martinborough Reserve beat out a 1990 DRC La Tache at $5500 a bottle. The ranking included 20 Pinot Noirs from France, California, Oregon, Australia, and New Zealand.
3/19/2011, Saturday Alcohol Protects Against Dementia A recent study finds that drinking alcohol in moderation protects against dementia, even after age 75.
3/17/2011, Thursday The US overtook France to become the world’s biggest wine-consuming nation in 2010, according to newly-released figures. Sales of Cabernet Sauvignon rose 6% to nearly 33m cases, and there were notable sales increases for Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Riesling and Muscat.
4/23/2010, Friday The Martinborough region of New Zealand produces wonderful Pinot Noirs. When visiting the region be sure to include the Vynfield Vineyard. Vynfields is a boutique organic/biodynamic vineyard, located 3 minutes from the Martinborough Village Square, which also offers self-contained accommodation. It's a beautiful location and a wonderful place to taste wine and have lunch. www.vynfields.com
2/26/2010, Friday Tickets now on sale for the 3rd Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, April 8-11, 2010. http://tickets.pebblebeachfoodandwine.com/
1/24/2010, Sunday Wine Spectator Magazine Jacob Gaffney Posted: August 12, 2009 Heavy Alcohol Consumption a Cancer Risk But moderate wine drinking lowered risk of several cancers, according to Canadian study http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/40473
1/19/2010, Tuesday Pajaro Street Wine Bar http://pajarostreet.com/pajarowinebar.html My favorite little restaurant in the Monterey Peninsula has reopened as a wine bar. 435 Pajaro Street Salinas, CA 93901 (Formerly Pajaro Street Grill - Recipiant of 7 Consecutive Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence) Open 4 - 8 pm Wednesday - Saturday
1/11/2010, Monday Pinot Noir 2010, February 1-4, 2010 Wellington NZ http://www.pinotnoir2010.co.nz/ In my opinion, the best Pinot Noir Event in the World! Date: February 1-4, 2010 Place: Wellington, New Zealand
1/10/2009, Sunday Pinot Days Los Angeles January 17, 2010 http://www.pinotdays.com/ For those of you in the Los Angeles area. Date: Sunday, January 17, 2010 Time: 1:00pm-5:00pm Place: Barker Hangar - 3021 Airport Avenue, Suite 203, Santa Monica, CA 90405 Ticket price: $50 per person
11/21/2009, Saturday PinotFest 2009 A Public Tasting of a Sexy Wine San Francisco’s original, all-pinot noir bacchanalia returns to Farallon Restaurant on Saturday afternoon, November 21, 2009. The extensive tasting of pinot noirs from over 50 of Oregon and California’s best producers is held from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. In addition, the afternoon features sumptuous hors d’oeuvres to complement the wines and an opportunity to meet the winemakers. Join us for our 11th year! Date: Saturday November 21, 2009 Time: 3:00 until 6:00 PM Place: Farallon, 450 Post Street, 4th Floor Ticket price: $100 per person To purchase tickets or for more information please call 415-956-6969 http://www.farallonrestaurant.com/pinotfest.html
09/13/2009, Sunday Alex Gambal, Burgundy Winemaker, writes a wonderful blog of the harvest in Burgundy. He includes pictures. www.alexgambal.com/blog/
09/12/2009, Sunday Probably lots of wonderful Pinot Noirs at the Capitola Art & Wine Festival, September 12 & 13, on the Esplanade in Capitola Village, 10 am to 6 pm.
08/14/2009, Saturday I want to recommend "Julie & Julia" -- it's wonderful.
08/14/2009, Friday My friends, Paul & Denise Dennis own Silverwood in the Mornington Peninsula of Victoria Australia. It's not yet available in the US but if your're in Australia be sure and try their Estate Pinot Noir. They just received a 94 rating from James Halliday: ***** Silverwood Cellars Estate Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2007 Bright colour; cherry and a touch of plum with an attractive spice backbone to the fruit; quite velvety on entry, with good fruit definition, and a brightness to the finish that is even, fine and long. Screwcap. 13.4% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2014 A$31.95 Date Tasted Mar 09 http://www.silverwoodwines.com.au/
08/09/2009, Sunday Enjoyed a 2007 Ken Wright Cellars, Abbott Claim Vineyard Pinot Noir on Friday night that was wonderful. Full and rich -- the way I like a good pinot noir. Ken Wright Cellars is in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
08/07/2009, Friday Enjoyed a Croft Pinot Noir 2005 from the Willamette Valley in Oregon last week at New Sammy's Cowboy Bistro in Talent, Oregon (just North of Ashland).
08/04/2009, Sunday Pinot Days 2009, November 24, 2009 Wines of Germany will showcase German Pinot Noir at the Grand Tasting for trade and consumers in Chicago on November 14th.
08/02/2009, Sunday Enjoyed a Te Kairanga Reserve Pinot Noir 2003 last night. This lovely wine comes from the Martinborough area of New Zealand and is available in the US.
07/31/2009, Friday Just got back from the Williamette Valley in Oregon where I thoroughly enjoyed the Salmon Roast at the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC).

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