The Willamette Valley Wineries Association is making the rounds.  After sponsoring popular events in Portland, Seattle, and New York, the Association is bringing its “Pinot in the City” showcase to San Francisco.   If you love Pinot Noir, you shouldn’t miss this event.

On Thursday, September 13, winemakers and winery owners from 70 top Oregon wineries will share their wines between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. at the Golden Gate Club at the Presidio (135 Fisher Loop, San Francisco).  In addition to the wines, appetizers and Pinot-friendly bites will accompany the tasting.

Tickets are $65 per person, but are limited and almost sure to sell out.  So, go here now to see the complete list of participating wineries and to buy your tickets.  When you purchase a ticket for Pinot in the City by the Bay, admission includes a logo glass with art by John Fisher.  In addition, you will also be automatically entered into a raffle to win a luxurious two-night getaway to the Willamette Valley wine country at the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Oregon, recently voted #1 Spa in the Continental US by Travel + Leisure Magazine.  

We are huge fans of Oregon wines, particularly those from the Willamette Valley.  If you haven’t been wine tasting in the region before, this is an exciting opportunity to learn about wines from the Chehalem Mountain, Ribbon Ridge, Yamhill-Carlton District, Dundee Hills, McMinville, and Eola-Amity Hills appellations.  If you have already traveled and tasted there, this is your chance to revisit old favorites and discover new ones.

Pinot Noir fans in or near San Francisco on September 13 should absolutely try to attend the Pinot in the City by the Bay because it will be a lot of fun and Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs are delicious.  But also, we really want the Association to make this an annual event.   A large collection of Oregon Pinot Noirs being poured under one roof in San Francisco at the same time – sounds like something we’d love to experience every year.

We realize that 70 wineries are a lot to choose between, especially if you don’t have a lot of experience with wines from Oregon.  So if you go to Pinot in the City by the Bay, these are the wineries we personally suggest you aim for first, to gain a broad understanding of how wonderful wines from the Willamette Valley are:

Adelsheim Vineyard (Newberg)

Archery Summit (Dayton)

Beaux Frères (Newberg)

Bethel Heights Vineyard (Salem)

Boedecker Cellars (Portland)

Chehalem (Newberg)

Colene Clemens Vineyards (Newberg)

De Ponte Cellars (Dayton)

Domaine Drouhin Oregon (Dayton)

Domaine Serene (Dayton)

iOTA Cellars (Amity)

Lemelson Vineyards (Carlton)

Penner-Ash Wine Cellars (Newberg)

Shea Wine Cellars (Newberg)

Sineann Winery (Newberg)

Sokol Blosser (Dayton)

Soter Vineyards (Carlton)

Trisaetum (Newberg)

We also included the location of the wineries above in case you want to plan a trip to the area.  If you do head to Oregon, please also check out our article about our favorite places in Portland which is here. 

The Willamette Valley Wineries Association is a non-profit industry association dedicated to achieving recognition for Oregon’s acclaimed Willamette Valley as a premier Pinot Noir producing region and represents wineries and tasting rooms from Portland to Eugene.  To learn more about the Association, its members, and scheduled events, please go here.

If you are a member of the wine trade (actively involved in the sale and distribution of wine – wholesale, retail, and restaurant) then you may want to know that Pinot in the City by the Bay is also doing a Trade Tasting earlier in the day on September 13, between noon and 4 p.m. – go here for more information.