For the last 29 years the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) has been toasting to the best Pinot Noirs the world has to offer and this year’s celebration will be no different. Held from July 29 to 31, the 30th annual IPNC will showcase more than 250 wines from over 70 wineries around the world, 37 of which call the Pacific Northwest home.
This feast for Pinot Noir has three different ticket options: the Full Weekend, the Salmon Bake and the Passport to Pinot. The Full Weekend, running at $1,195, will offer guests three days of wine tastings, seminars, vineyard tours, meals prepared by more than 60 award-winning local chefs, the chance to meet and discuss wine with the winemakers present at the festivities and a ticket to the Salmon Bake. Speaking of which, the Salmon Bake, held on the evening of July 30, will serve up wild caught salmon that has been roasted on alder stakes in the IPNC’s fire pit, in addition to a buffet prepared by the chefs. Tickets for the Salmon Bake, the majority of which are reserved for the Full Weekend ticketholders, will run you $225. Finally, the Passport to Pinot ticket option, available for $125, will offer guests a more traditional wine festival atmosphere, providing them the opportunity to both sip on the many wines present at the Celebration and to munch food prepared by the IPNC chefs.
The grand celebration will be held at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon, with loding accommodations available in the school’s residence hall. If staying in the dormitories and reliving your college days isn’t quite your thing however, there are plenty of hotels and bed and breakfasts in the area.
Tickets to the event are selling quickly, with the Full Weekend already hosting a waiting list. If spending a weekend enjoying all things Pinot — plus an evening eating fire-roasted salmon under the stars — sounds up your alley, act fast and snag a ticket.
