Pinot Paradise : A Must for the True Pinot Noir Lover

If you love Pinot Noir, you owe it to yourself to attend Pinot Paradise, the 5th annual celebration of Pinot Noir exclusively grown and produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains . This year, the Grand Cruz event will feature over 30 local wineries pouring their best Pinots, accompanied by food from a dozen local gourmet restaurants. The event is held Sunday, March 29, at the beautifully appointed Villa Ragusa ballroom in historic downtown Campbell , in the heart of Silicon Valley .

This is a once a year opportunity to taste some of the finest Pinot Noirs being made in California today, all in one accessible place. Several vintages will be represented, from 2004 to 2007, and the variety of styles is truly a delight to explore. There's something for everyone here.

Accompanying the tasting will be a silent auction and raffle featuring local wines, artisan foods, arts & crafts, winery tours and exotic get-aways. The live auction at the conclusion features heated bidding over double magnums from each winery, plus a sensational one-of-kind Paradise Cuveé, a 5-liter blend of all the best Pinots being poured at the event. Now this is a party in a bottle! To buy tickets, click here.

Enjoy Barrel Tasting? Attend Pinot Pathways, Saturday, March 28

On Saturday, March 28, many of the wineries participating in Pinot Paradise will have special barrel samples of Pinots for you to enjoy. Some even have older vintages open so you can do vertical tastings. Tickets for this self-guided tour are $25.

What Makes the Santa Cruz Mountains Unique?

“The Pinot Noirs from the Santa Cruz Mountains have lovely aromatics, luscious red and dark fruit flavors, soft tannins, and are usually packaged in a light- to medium-bodied sensual wine so juicy you can ‘nibble' at it. They are very modern in style with incredible value-to-price ratios. My recent visit to the Santa Cruz Mountains for the Pinot Paradise event reinforced my belief that these wines deserve every pinotphile's serious interest.” Prince of Pinot, Rusty Gaffney, from his April 4, 2007 newsletter.

With four distinct climate regions, the variety of Pinots is tremendous. Many of the small, carefully tended vineyards in the region are located at elevations well over 1k feet, all the way to 2600 feet. In much of the appellation. the terrain is rugged, the soils lean and the maritime influence, very pronounced. All these unique factors help produce intensely flavored and concentrated fruit. Then it's up to the winemakers to turn the fruit into a thing of beauty that sings on the palate and makes you want to take another sip…and another. Come taste the magic of our mountains for yourself!

For tickets to Pinot Paradise, please call SCMWA at 831/685-8463 or follow the paypal link below.

Pathway To Pinot Paradise

March 28, 2009

11a.m.-5:00p.m.

Participating Wineries

$25 Per Person

Grand Cruz Tasting

March 29, 2009

2:00p.m..-5:00p.m.

Villa Ragusa in Historic Downtown Campbell

Ample Parking Available

Fun Fact: Did you know that because of the nearby rail tracks, Campbell became a
hub in the Valley for shipping fruit, "and within a short period of
time, the drying grounds and canneries made Campbell an important rail
center. The Campbell Fruit Growers' Union became a well known
cooperative with its 17-acre drying yard", and the city had three major
canneries. So there's a connection with agriculture and fruit growing,
although it's mostly been paved over now.

Download Pinot Paradise Poster Here!

Technical Sessions

March 29, 2009

9:30a.m.-1:00p.m.

Pinot Paradise Winemaker Dinners

TBD

Award-Winning Santa Cruz Mountains Pinot Noir

More Information About Pinot Noir in the Santa Cruz Mountains

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