Following this past weekend’s Pinot Days celebration in Santa Monica, three more notable wine events are coming to L.A. in the next few weeks, including a Downtown class for neophytes, multiple events for the Pinot-passionate in Pasadena, and a dinner based on California-raised Italian wines at The Hungry Cat. There will be plenty of opportunities to speak with winemakers while indulging in their work and buffing up your wino knowledge. Take a look.
Noir Food and Wine in Pasadena will host the city’s second annual Pinot Fest, with three different events scheduled. On January 24th, Brian Loring will bring his wines to Noir for a five-course winemaker’s dinner, followed by a tasting of Wes Hagan’s Clos Pepe on January 29th. A public Grand Tasting will finish off the Pinot Fest with an awesome assortment of California pinots on January 30th. Held at The University Club of Pasadena, the $75 advance tickets ($89 at the door) gets you a free Riedel glass of your own, all tastings, charcuterie and cheese, plus Noir chef Claud Beltran’s BBQ and passed hors d’oeuvres, in addition to access to different seminars. Ticket sale proceeds will go to Hillsides, an organization for youths in foster care. Tickets and information are online.
San Antonio Winery, the only one actually making wine in the city, is offering “Wine 101: An Introduction to Tasting and Pairing” this Sunday, January 24th in Downtown. Pleasure Palate tells us this $55 event will include at least seven wines, as well as dishes like broiled Miso Alaskan black cod on a potato and chive pancake. The three-hour class promises guests the ability to discern profiles of chianti, rose, Cab, and other varietals and give a sense of how to pair food with vino. 323-330- 8771 for reservations.
On February 1st, Palmina Wines will descend upon Hungry Cat for a five-course winemaker’s dinner. Palmina only grows Italian grapes on its Central Coast land and vintner Steve Clifton will sit at the head of the table to explain the challenges and joys of crafting his sterling Sangiovese, Dolcetto, and Barbera on Cali soil. The Cat’s kitchen will do its part by preparing slow-cooked salmon, raw scallops, swordfish with razor clams, and pork ribs to pair, the latter with the Winery’s sold-out 2006 Undici. Reservations are required at 323-462-2155.
Enjoy!
Wine 101 [Pleasure Palate]
