"PinotNoir" news and stories

At this year's International Pinot Noir Celebration (yes, there is an event that's 100 percent about this luscious wine grape!) in Oregon's Willamette Valley -- which was held last month -- many Pinot Noirs were poured. From Oregon to New Zealand -- and many points in-between. Considered one of the premier wine events, because it brings together wine collectors and winemakers, it's a plum opportunity to sip Pinot Noir from all over and understand how differing growing conditions produce a unique style.

Workshops in pairing food with these wines and also the nuts and bolts of blending Pinot Noir clones are among the festivities each year.

Find our five favorites from this year's IPNC after the jump...

In a tasting of 2006 vintage Oregon Pinot Noirs, we sampled some fabulous bottles. According to a recent issue of Wine Spectator, this vintage isn't all bad despite a long, hot summer – you might say Indian Summer – that stressed the vines (whew!). The results are Pinot Noirs with ripe, mature fruit and a nice tannic structure that are ready to drink now.

Generally speaking, Pinot Noir is a fitting wine to transition into spring, with a lighter body yet not lacking the spices and fruit that drive a bottle into excellence. Pair these with salmon to celebrate the earthiness in both the wine and the food, and you can even tap into a sommelier's wine-pairing trick: choose food and wine from the same region by going with Pacific Northwest salmon.

After the jump, find our eight favorites. And trust us when we say that the hike in bottle price – compared to what you might pay for a mass-market Pinot Noir from California – is well worth the splurge. These are wines you are going to remember long after you've finished them.

As the weather warms up, we can at last turn our heads to lighter-bodied reds. Pinot Noir is an excellent example.

The film Sideways (2004) made the red-wine grape more famous than it had ever been, catapulting it from obscurity into high demand. Suddenly wine drinkers were searching their local wine shops for bottles from California's Central Coast, eager to learn what thrilled Miles about Pinot Noir. Planted not just in California -- and in more regions than the Central Coast -- the grapes also do well in New York, Washington, Oregon, New Zealand, Italy and France. Considered a finicky grape to grow, winemakers consider Pinot Noir their pride and joy and spend a lot of time perfecting their craft as it relates to this particular grape.

After the jump, find some of our favorites, from Anderson Valley, California, to Orange, Australia. (Wondering why there aren't any Oregon Pinots on our list? Stay tuned for a post dedicated to Pinots from that state.)

• Damariscotta holds a pumpkin parade and contest that gives the orange gourd center stage. Plus recipes for: Pumpkin Carrot Cake, Pumpkin Praline Cheesecake, Brown Sugar Spiced Pepitas, Maple Mushroom Pumpkin Creme Brulee and Pumpkin Praline Trifle.
• A reminder that healthy doesn't mean piled with nonfat, processed foods.
• Portland's Harvest on the Harbor will offer all "the delicious flavors of this foodie state" this weekend.
• Andy and Jaime Berhanu offer Maine its first taste of locally created tempeh.
• A visit to Etude elicits musings about pinot noir and a list of their best wine picks.
• Recipe: Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Icing.

Robin, the despised? Photo: Bravo.

Since the very beginning of "Top Chef Vegas" -- when she sheepishly chose immunity over a prize in a quickfire challenge -- the spazzy, chatty 40-something firebrand with the Kool-Aid hair has been courting the hatred of just about every mammal on the show, including the dead ones she's overcooked in the kitchen.

Even the cameramen seem to be joining in the slander. Each week, her pancake makeup looks a little worse, her puttering around the house more aimless, her early morning pilates routine more ridiculous. If you're looking for someone to teach you the doggy paddle on your front lawn, Robin's your girl.

Call it ageist, call it sexist, call it discrimination against the uniquely untalented, but certainly the bile and vitriol directed her way are disproportionate to her overall annoyance factor -- or are they? This week, the show's editors played up the Eli-vs.-Robin smackdown, wherein the elder stateswoman of "Top Chef" had the gall to suggest a nice serving platter for the Weeble-like Eli's scallops.

"You're not my mom," the snotty 25-year-old shouted, just after reminding us that he still lives with his mom and dad -- and is quite happy with the arrangement, thank you.