VASCM: Flavor Development Technical Session at Pinot Paradise April 1; Discount Tickets for VASCM Members

Tue Mar 13 13:13:41 PDT 2012

*Pinot Paradise Technical Session:
The Flavor Journey -- From Vine to Wine*
**
****
The Pinot Paradise weekend is coming up March 31 and April 1, with the 
Technical Session and Grand Cruz tasting on April 1 at the Villa Ragusa 
Conference Center in Campbell. The Technical Session this year is on 
*flavor development: from vine to wine*, and whether or not you are 
growing or making Pinot Noir you should find this an educational and 
valuable program:

- Dr. Keith Patterson, professor, is Director of Viticulture at Cal Poly 
and will guide us through flavor development in the vineyard.
- Alison Crowe, winemaker, is the author of the Wine Makers Answer Book 
and will address the enology portion of the presentation.
- A panel of SCM winemakers will present a tasting of our regional Pinot 
Noirs

This program continues the efforts at Pinot Paradise each year to bring 
excellent speakers to help educate all of us in the art of growing and 
making spectacular Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains.

See the information about the Tech Session below.

*A discounted ticket price of $35 (regularly $55) is being offered to 
VASCM members. *As we have not embarked on membership renewals for this 
year yet, this discount will apply for memberships current as of 2011. 
If you are not sure of your membership status, please reply to this 
message for verification before registering.  Or to be sure, find the 
Membership Application on the VASCM website at www.vascm.org  and renew 
for 2012 (membership dues are $50/year). Registration is on the SCMWA 
website at www.scmwa.com.

We hope to see you at the Pinot Paradise technical session. Take 
advantage of this great price. It is a terrific program with excellent 
speakers. And stay tuned for a VASCM meeting soon.

Best,
Mary Lindsay
President, VASCM
408-234-2079

*_
_*

*Take The Magical Mystery Tour of Pinot Noir Flavors*

*At the 2012 Santa Cruz Mountains' Pinot Paradise Technical Session:*

*Pinot Noir: The Flavor Journey -- From Vine to Wine*
**
***With Keynote Speakers Alison Crowe, Author, the Wine Maker's Answer 
Book and*
*Dr. Keith Patterson, Director of Viticulture, California Polytechnic 
University*

*Sunday, April 1, 2012*
*9:00-12:00 at the Villa Ragusa Conference Center in Campbell*
** **
**
*Whether or not you are making Pinot Noir this session will be a 
valuable one on flavor development in winegrapes and wine*
**
**

This session, 'The Flavor Journey -- From Vine to Wine', will explore 
the complex evolution of flavor development in Pinot Noir. It will start 
with the phytochemical maturation process offruit in the vineyard and 
follow it through the myriad winemaking decisions that affect the 
chemical relationships leading to premium, finished wine.

The keynote speakers include Alison Crowe, author of The Wine Maker's 
Answer Book and currently the winemaker for Garnet Vineyards, Picket 
Fence Vineyards andPlata Wine Partners, LLC, where she provides custom 
winemaking services and consulting. Ms. Crowe will lead the enology 
portion of this discussion. Pinot Noir is Ms. Crowe's passion. Her 
winemaking background includes Chalone Vineyard, known for 
terroir-driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnays; and in the Santa Cruz 
Mountains she has worked at Byington Wineryalongside Burgundy-trained 
winemaking legend, the late Don Blackburn; and with Randall Grahm at 
Bonny Doon Vineyard. In Argentina she has worked at Bodegas Salentein 
alongside Michel Rolland. For several years Ms. Crowe has been making 
Pinot Noir from the RussianRiver, Carneros and Monterey appellations. 
She believes in letting the grapes speak their particular truths through 
the medium of the winemaker.

Dr. Keith Patterson, Director of Viticulture in the College of 
Agriculture at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo 
(Cal Poly), will represent the vineyard portion of the journey. He will 
guide us through the evolving efforts of science to define the complex 
process of flavor development in the vineyard. Dr. Patterson will lead 
the discussion starting with the genetic distinction of the vinifera 
scion through a season of terroir-driven fruit development to the 
controversial point of maturation, perfection and harvest. Dr. Patterson 
has over 25 years of experience as an educator and consultant. His areas 
of expertise include evaluation of site and terroir, vineyard design and 
development and vineyard performance analysis and consulting.

A panel of Santa Cruz Mountain winemakers will complete the session and 
present a tasting of their Pinot Noirs as they share their experience of 
the flavor journey.

*What:*2012 Pinot Paradise Technical Session: /"The Flavor Journey -- 
 From Vine to Wine"/

*When:*Sunday, April 1, 9:00am to 12:00pm (prior to the Grand Cruz 
tasting, 2:00-5:00pm)

*Where:*Villa Ragusa, 35 S. Second St., Campbell, CA95008

*Tickets:*$35.00 for VASCM members, available from the SCMWA at 
www.scmwa.com <http://www.scmwa.com/>, 831-685-8463, info at scmwa.com**

Pinot Paradise begins on Saturday, March 31 with a self-guided Pathways 
tour of the region's wineries, featuring barrel tasting and library 
wines. Tickets for/Pathway to Pinot Paradise /are $25.

On Sunday April 1 the /Technical Session/ is from 9:00-12:00, followed 
by the /Grand Cruz Tasting /with 40 wineries pouring Santa Cruz 
Mountains Pinot Noirs from 2:00-5:00, and a VIP Tour preceding it from 
1:00-2:00. These take place at the Villa Ragusa Conference Center in 
Campbell. Tickets are $55.00 for the /Technical Session/; $55 for the 
/Grand Cruz Tasting /(and an additional $20 for the VIP Tour); and $140 
for all four events.

Tickets and more information are available from the SCMWA at 
831-685-8463, www.scmwa.com <http://www.scmwa.com/>, email 
info at scmwa.com <mailto:info at scmwa.com>.

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