On July 15th the relatively famous #PinotNoir tasting will be "on and popping," as the kids say. A collection of twitterati have put together yet another varietal-focused virtual tasting. The trick here is that they've got it set up like some kind of battle royal thing, where the fake wrestlers all "fight" each other to determine world domination. In this case the organizers hail from some of the greatest Pinot Noir producing regions of the country: Atlanta, Georgia. Though I jest about Georgia's Pinot-producing acumen, these characters, Ed Thralls of Wine Tonite and Joe Herrig of Suburban Wino along with one of our favorite Northwest wine bloggers, Tamara Belgrade of Sip with Me, have put this little donnybrook together.
While there have been a plethora of twitter tastings lately, what I especially like about this one is the smack talking, fake wrestling element of it. Rather than all of us singing the praises of the wines of Washington or the Chardonnays of (gulp) California, we're talking smack and shouting out loud about our favorite Pinot spot. Californians will be talking about Carneros and Sonoma Valley and Napa (which I believe is an auto parts place?), and I of course will be flying the flag for the Willamette Valley.
The good folks at Willamette Valley Vineyards have sent me some exquisite weaponry for this "battle royale of Burgundian origins." While fake wrestler types often use things like chairs, ladders, or crow bars to bludgeon their opponent, I will use the 2008 Founder's Reserve Pinot Noir. This is far more effective than any old ladder, 'cause odds are, it's damn delicious. I haven't had it yet of course, but in one day... Boom.
So folks, get out there and hit the streets for Pinot Noir, and it's greatest growing region, the Willamette Valley. Some of the Willamette Valley's finest establishments are hosting tweet-ups to allow you to gather together and tweet from the same room. Some are offering amazing deals on their wine, like Duck Pond Cellars and the aforementioned Willamette Valley Vineyards. So it's really a win, wine, win situation.
How do you play along, you ask? Get your twitter machinery and a bottle of Pinot Noir ready to roll; if it's not Willamette in its origins, then I wonder about you. From there, taste that wine in your glass and unleash a torrent of twitter descriptions on the whole wide world, making sure to use the hashtags #PinotNoir (one word) and #WV for Willamette Valley. There are other hashtags for California Pinots, but I don't believe in that sorta thing. It's unnatural. Tweet away about your #WV #PinotNoir and we'll make sure that the world's finest Pinot producing region get's its due.
LOVE IT! The build up! The hype! I wanna see folks foaming at the mouth!!!
ReplyDeleteOkay, maybe that's a little too much. we're wine drinkers. We're civilized, right? :) Of course, what metaphor other than wrasslin' would you expect from some hicks from the South?
If anyone wants, I've broken out #WV into all the sub-AVAs (#CH, #EA, #DH,#MC, #RB, #YC) if folks need to get more specific. Up to you. The list is over on my little mess of a blawg (suburbanwino.com).
And long live the rich, terroir-driven Pinots of Atlanta. Okay, maybe not, but we're really good at drinking it :)
Donnybrook is a damn fine word, good chap.
ReplyDeleteAmen!
ReplyDelete