On October 24th, the 7th Annual Pinot on the River Festival took place at the Rodney Strong Vineyards estate. It promised to be a day of singular sensations with over 100 Pinot Noir master crafters pouring their wines. It turned out to be a perfect day for pairing Pinot and Gortex. Luckily I arrived dressed for the occasion in knee high argyle rubber boots, but for some folks less prepared, it was a sloppy event to negotiate through ankle high mud.
I was already very familiar with many of the wines from the Russian River Valley, but not so much with those from the Santa Lucia Highlands. I was very impressed with everything I tasted from the Santa Lucia Highlands and after this event I plan to investigate the AVA further.
Here are links to some of my favorites of the day:
