Wine, Food, Sun
PONY UP FOR PINOT by Suzi Steffen
Located in
E u g e n e ’s n e w
Crescent Village
IPNC
I
s there a time more possibly perfect
in the Willamette Valley than the last
weekend in July? With the likelihood
of gorgeous weather approaching 100
percent and an international crew of
people who not only feel passionate about
the grape and its fermented state but
also local, organic food and health care
for workers, the International Pinot Noir
Celebration in McMinnville should charm
everyone who can afford the ticket.
Yes, that ticket’s pricey. Seriously pricey.
On the other hand, your $975 gets you
everything from a seminar where the
winemakers of Panther Creek Cellars,
Cristom Vineyards and Bethel Heights share
stories about their soils and microclimates
to vineyard tours and winery lunches that
read like head-spinning combinations of
delight. Chefs including Leather Storrs
(Portland’s Noble Rot), our own Adam
Bernstein (Adam’s Sustainable Table), John
Gorham (of PDX’s glorious Toro Bravo)
and a whole bunch more provide the taste
delights for interviews with winemakers.
We all know this wouldn’t be an Oregon
conference without emphasis on local
food and some form of social justice, and
the IPNC takes on both. There’s the Grand
Dinner, where Vitaly Paley, Stephanie Pearl
Kimmel and Rocky Maselli and other well-
known Oregon chefs work with farmers to
create that famous Northwest combo of
local and crazy good food. The weekend
previews November’s Salud! auction, where
winemakers auction off custom bottles of
pinot noir in order to pay for fi eld worker
health care. Attendees can give a donation
to Salud! on the registration form or at
www.saludaction.org
Looking for a less pricey option?
On Sunday, July 26, the IPNC hosts the
$125-per-ticket “Passport to Pinot,” a
tasting extravaganza complete with
winemakers from all over the world and, of
course, top chefs from around the state. For
pinot noir enthusiasts, the entire weekend
looks like one long fantasy come to life in
the Valley. The group request deadline for
registration falls on May 30, but individuals
can keep on registering either online or
with the celebration’s brochure. Check out
www.ipnc.org for the enticing specifi cs —
and, hey, think about saving up now for
next year’s fun in the sun.
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