Home       About Us       Buy Tickets       FAQs       Travel & Lodging       ¡Salud!       IPNC Store      

2009 PROGRAM  |  FEATURED WINERIES  |  WINERY PARTICIPATION  |  CUISINE  |  PRESS  |  SEASONAL POSTS  |  PASSPORT TO PINOT

"At this most unbuttoned of wine affairs, anything is liable to happen - speakers are chosen for their wit as much as for their wisdom, and even the slightest hint of pompous wine jargon is hooted down by the crowd." - Frank J. Prial, The New York Times



The 22nd Annual International Pinot Noir Celebration will dedicate the 2008 headline seminar to the topic of sustainability. Viewing the subject through the lens of the legendary wines of Dominique Lafon, as well as six additional world-class producers, attendees will learn how the world's top winemakers are proactively working to protect the environment as they craft wines of truly unsurpassed quality.

Host Jasper Morris will introduce Dominique Lafon, and you'll join them in tasting through a selection of wines Dominique has brought from his own cellar, beginning with Meursault from the Desiree Vineyard and continuing with a vertical of Volnay Santenots du Milieu. Dominique will discuss his personal journey beginning as a young man taking over the helm of his family's estate, to becoming a leader in Burgundy's effort to farm sustainably.

Photo by Jean Chevaldonne

DOMINIQUE LAFON Unquestionably the pre-eminent producer in Meursault, Dominique Lafon, of the legendary estate Domaine des Comtes Lafon, is one of Burgundy's most progressive, forward-thinking, and venerable personalities. Dominique has been instrumental in implementing major viticultural changes in Burgundy, favoring biodynamic and organic farming as a means of producing the highest quality wines while being respectful of the environment. His wines, when you are lucky enough to find them are truly transcendent, extracting exceptional qualities from the prestigious vineyards under his stewardship. Website: Comtes-Lafon.fr

JASPER MORRIS Jasper Morris has been a Master of Wine since 1985. He founded the highly respected Morris & Verdin Ltd., specializing in imported wines from Burgundy, California, and Oregon into the United Kingdom. Jasper writes for numerous wine publications and offers his expert wine knowledge in seminars around the world. When Berry Brothers and Rudd acquired his company in 2003, Jasper was appointed to the prominent position of Buying Director. He is currently finishing a much-anticipated book on Burgundy.

Andrea Robinson leads a discussion and tasting with some of the world's top Pinot Noir producers from three continents. Guests will learn about the sustainable paths that each winemaker chose to achieve unsurpassed quality with a commitment to protect the land from which the wine originates.

	ANDREA ROBINSON Master of Ceremonies With eight books, two television programs, and several wine columns to her credit, energetic wine educator and Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson (formerly Andrea Immer) will be your Master of Ceremonies. Andrea's down-to-earth and enthusiastic perspective on wine has helped demystify the subject for hundreds of thousands of wine lovers across the globe. Despite her encyclopedic knowledge of wine, Andrea's immense popularity can be traced to her ability to make wine less intimidating and more approachable. Website: AndreaImmer.com
	FREDERIC LAFARGE Frédéric Lafarge, and his father Michel, are probably the most famous father-and-son team working in Burgundy today. They work together to redefine and convey the traditions of past generations. The Lafarges have around 10 hectares of vines in the famed village of Volnay. Michel and Frédéric believe that the initial selection of plant material is one of the most important decisions a vigneron makes. The vines are mature, very little new oak is used, and the wines are handled as seldom as possible, with only a couple of rackings, a light fining and rarely any filtration. The Lafarge domaine is run very much by instinct and with respect for the terroir, with no sense of imposition, and with biodynamic techniques. Website: DomaineLafarge.fr
	NIGEL GREENING Felton Road was bought by Nigel Greening in 2000, and has been farmed increasingly organically since 2002. Felton Road's grapes are entirely grown in their own "Elms Bannockburn Vineyard" which has a northerly exposure to help maximize ripeness. Nigel has been failing miserably in getting a suitable amount of time in fishing of late. A legend in his own lunchtime, he is aiming to break the world record for numbers of Rotary Clubs addressed in a single week. Main ambition is to beat his son Hamish (age 6) at chess. Website: FeltonRoad.com
	MICHAEL DHILLON A natural humility (and clear articulated thinking) has taken Michael Dhillon along a new path of inquiry. Dhillon helped his father Bill to plant the original vineyard in 1988. The move towards biodynamic viticulture is unsurprising. The very name of Bindi suggests a way of thinking that goes away from the mainstream and a desire to capture the positive natural forces of the earth. The Bindi vineyards, elevated at approximately 500 metres, are located on gentle north facing slopes. Wine making is "unsophisticated, strictly non-interference - but not uncontrolled". Dhillon believes strongly in natural wines showing "perfume, harmony and elegance." -Andrew Caillard
copyright 2004 Bill Tucker	TED LEMON Ted Lemon began his career by studying Enology at the Université de Bourgogne. He apprenticed at several famous estates in Burgundy: Domaines Dujac, De Villaine, Roumier, Parent and Bruno Clair. He was the first American ever hired as a winemaker and vineyard manager of a Burgundian estate, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault. Littorai's philosophy of winegrowing is inspired by Ted's years in France and is based upon the concept of terroir. All of the sites in the Littorai vineyard portfolio have been carefully selected by Ted. Ted has been a leader in the implementation sustainable farming practices in his own vineyards and region. He is now consulting on a project with Burn Cottage Vineyard in Central Otago, a neighbor of Felton Road. Website: Littorai.com
	TED CASTEEL Ted Casteel, co-founder, co-owner, and vineyard manager of Bethel Heights Vineyard gave up teaching history at the University of Michigan to grow grapes in Oregon 30 years ago and has never looked back. He developed the original 50-acre Bethel Heights estate vineyard in the late 1970s, and those 30-year-old, own-rooted vines still provide the back bone of the Pinot Noir production at Bethel Heights. Ted's commitment to continual improvement of wine quality made him an early adopter of the rigorous crop control and intensive canopy management practices that have become industry standards over the years. From the beginning, Ted has remained committed to maintaining biological diversity and ecological balance on the whole farm, minimizing the use of "off-farm" inputs such as fungicides, synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and diesel. Trying to figure out how to make these principles work on the ground, without compromising the quality of the fruit, was the impetus behind Ted's leadership in the foundation of L.I.V.E. in 1997. Website: BethelHeights.com