Santa Rita Hills is located 12 miles from the ocean in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County. Its unique terrain, soil and climate have earned this appellation an international reputation for its Pinot Noir. Cool Pacific air funneled by the Santa Rita hills moderates the climate. The fog rolls in during the late afternoon and is burned off by the morning sun. The cool nights and warm days produce intense and flavorful wines. The Santa Rita Hills is one of Pinot Noir’s most celebrated growing regions.
The area has produced not only some of the most compelling Pinot Noir on the planet, but has attracted some of the most colorful and memorable winemakers as well. Put this mix in a room with a view as we did at West Restaurant on top of Hotel Angeleno the other night and we were gifted with an evening not to miss! Six celebrated SRH winemakers poured the best Pinot in their lineups, including Clos Pepe, Pali, Hitching Post, Sandler, Zotovich Family Vineyards and Arcadian. The winemakers who put the magic in the bottles included Wes Hagen, Aaron Walker, Gray Hartley, Ed Kurtzman, Ryan Zotovich and Joe Davis.
Chef Matthew Woolf of West Restaurant paired these wonderful wines with a special menu which included Sunchoke Soup (truffle, brown butter foam), Braised Short Rib (parsnip, radish salad), Salmon (Hoisin, mirim), Pork Belly (Apple mustarda) and Glazed Triple Crème Goat Cheese with beet caramel.
We were further treated to a very interesting short lecture about Pinot from Wes Hagen which can be viewed HERE.
Some of the guests present had immense depth of knowledge about wine, and others were newer to formal tasting. In either case everyone had their own reflections and comments and learned something about Pinot in this intimate and non-judgmental atmosphere. We all walked away knowing more about Pinot than we did when we arrived. Old friends reunited, new friends were made and everyone left looking even more forward to the official tasting at the Barker Hanger just two days hence. Thank you Pinot Days and West Restaurant for such an unforgettable soiree!
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