If you like California Pinot Noir, or if you’re interested in learning more about it, you should join me at one of my favorite wine events. The Pinot on The River Festival is now in its fourth year of providing an intimate and low key way to enjoy some of the best Pinot Noirs from Sonoma county and around the state.

Held at Russian River Vineyards in Forestville, (a new venue this year), the festival begins on Friday October 26th with a number of small wine dinners at several Russian River Valley wineries. Saturday is filled with seminars and tastings, including vertical tastings, blind tastings, and detailed classes on specific California Pinot Noir appellations and showcases of up and coming wineries. Saturday evening, participants enjoy a Gala dinner under the redwoods at Russian River Vineyards.

Sunday begins with yet more seminars on the science of Pinot Noir winemaking and alcohol levels in Pinot Noir, among others. The highlight of Sunday, however, is the walk-around Grand Tasting, where for four hours you can sample a wide variety of small production Pinot Noirs and chat with the winemakers and winery owners in a relaxed setting.

If you’re interested in the wines that are poured at the event, you can check out my coverage from 2005 and from 2006. Here’s the list of wineries pouring at this year’s event.

Pinot on The River Festival
Friday Oct. 26th - Sunday Oct. 28th 2007
Russian River Vineyards
5700 Gravenstein Hwy No. (Hwy 116)
Forestville, CA 95436
(707) 887.3344

There are still tickets available for the full weekend experience ($729) but they are going fast. Tickets to just the Sunday tasting are $69.

The last couple of years the weather has been absolutely beautiful for the tasting, which meant walking around in shirtsleeves, but it has the potential to be chilly, so if you’re going, make sure to bring something to keep you warm if the fog sets in. Dress for the event is casual, and my usual tips for public tastings apply: wear dark clothes, come with a full stomach, and spit if you really want to enjoy the tasting.

See you there!

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