PINOT DAYS GRAND FESTIVAL - PUBLIC TASTING
Saturday November 10th 1pm-4pm
Navy Pier- Lakeview Terrace, Chicago (click here for directions)
$50

Saturday’s Grand Tasting will showcase 50+ producers of pinot noir. This will be Chicago's largest single gathering of pinot producers ever. Consumers will be able to sample over 150 pinots from every important region in California, Oregon, New Zealand and Burgundy, and meet the winemakers who create them. Attendees will spend three hours immersed in the beauty of the hottest grape around, taste wines, learning more about pinot noir and having some serious fun. You even get to take the Bormioli Burgundy crystal glass when you leave.

As Ed Kurtzman (winemaker for Freeman, August West and Fort Ross) says, “For anyone who already loves Pinot, this is an excellent opportunity to try many new wines as well as some well-established favorites.  For those who don't have a lot of pinot experience, my bet is that they'll be in love with this grape by the end of the weekend.”  Enjoy countless pinots and sample a variety of artisan cheeses and other specialty foods.  There will also be a pinot production demonstration where attendees can learn about making pinot from growing grapes to bottling and every step in between. 

PINOT DAYS GRAND FESTIVAL - TRADE TASTING
Saturday November 10th 11am-4pm
Navy Pier- Lakeview Terrace, Chicago (click here for directions)
Complimentary to Those Who Qualify

Saturday’s Grand Tasting will showcase 50+ producers of pinot noir. This will be Chicago's largest single gathering of pinot producers ever.  Consumers will be able to sample over 150 pinots from every important region in California, Oregon, New Zealand and Burgundy. 

The trade signup only applies to the Grand Tasting on Saturday. You will be allowed to attend as trade only if you are pre-registered and approved. Signup for the trade tasting will close 10 days before the Grand Festival Tasting. After that date, you must purchase and pay full value for tickets in order to attend the trade portion of the Saturday event.

Each Organization is limited to two complimentary tickets. For more than two tickets, contact us to setup payment methods. You may include a second staff member from your organization in the additional staff field and you will be issued two tickets. The first two hours of the Grand Festival tasting, from 11am-1pm, will be exclusive to trade. To see if you qualify as trade, click here.

WINEMAKERS DINNER AT 312 CHICAGO
Friday November 9th 7pm - 11pm
312 Chicago Restaurant
136 N La Salle St, Chicago (click here for directions)
$120

Meet the winemakers and enjoy over 18 acclaimed pinots at 312 Chicago. We believe our WInemakers Dinners are unique because we combine the best of a wine festival concept with your traditional wine event dinner. To begin the evening, we will pass appetizers while you roam the room and taste pinots from 10 producers. This is a mini-version or our Grand Festival and gives you the opportunity to taste pinots and meet the winemakers all while enjoying appetizers from 312 Chicago. Then sit down to a phenomenal four-course dinner, specially designed for pairing with pinot by chef Dean Zanella. You will enjoy two pinots with each of the four courses, and you will enjoy the company of a different winemaker with each other course. Do not miss this unparalleled pinot experience!

Below are the pinot producing wineries that will present their elixirs during the evening:

Below is the menu Dean Zanella has especially crafted for the evening:

Passed Appetizers During the Producer Tasting

Passed Antipasti
Pancetta Wrapped Shrimp with Thyme
Crème Fraiche Raviolini with Beets , Chestnuts and Mascarpone
Pane Fritto with Spiced Pears and Pecorino
Dolce Swan Creek Chicken Liver Toscana
Seared Tuna Crostini with Lentil Puree and Sage

The Four Course Winemakers Dinner

Roasted Fig and Buffalo Milk Ricotta Tart with Smoked Prosciutto and Balsamic Must
Nonna Zanella’s Gnocchi with Braised Rabbit and Lobster Mushrooms Main
Braised Short Ribs with Truffled Celery Root and Candied Fennel
Local Cheeses with Vanilla Scented Dates and Hazelnut Bread

PINOT DAYS PINOT TASTING AT SAM’S WINES AND SPIRITS
Friday November 9th 4:30-8:00pm
Highland Park Store 1919 Skokie Valley Rd. (click here for directions)
Cost - Complimentary

Four of our favorite pinot producers will pour their finest to interested customers and will talk about their labors of love making wine from this noble grape.  This is an opportunity to taste some of the most acclaimed pinots on the market today, and to meet and talk with the people who create them.

The Participating Pinot Producers:

• Bink Wines
• Cambria Estate Winery
• Carneros Della Notte
• Davis Family Vineyards
• Raye's Hill Vineyard & Winery
• Handley Cellars
• Wines of Germany
• Picket Fence

BIN36 CELEBRATES PINOT DAYS CHICAGO!
Thursday, November 8th 5:00pm - Closing
BIN 36 Restaurant
339 N Dearborn on the west side of Marina City, between the river and Kinzie (click here for directions)

From 5:00 on, those with advance reservations will sit down for a night of outstanding pinot noir (plenty of them) paired with pinot-friendly cuisine.  You will meet seven winemakers as you enjoy the wonderful fruits of their labor.  You can enjoy these acclaimed and unique wines by the glass, by the flight, by the bottle or by the taste.  You may enjoy cheeses, appetizers, small plates or a full blown, pinot-paired chef’s tasting menu as the winemakers walk about and tell you their stories.   Pinot Days Chicago and Bin 36 are a perfect pairing – do not miss it.  You can reserve a table for dining in the Cellar online at www.opentable.com.

The Pinot producers who will be pouring before the dinner at the store and during sinner at your table:

Wineries Pouring With Dinner

• Davis Family Vineyards
• Fort Ross Winery & Vineyard
• Ovene Winery

Wineries Pouring As Guests Enter:

• Le Cadeau Vineyard
• Landmark Vineyards
• Picket Fence

PINOT DAYS KICKOFF PARTY AT SAM’S WINES AND SPIRITS
Thursday November 8th 5:00 - 7:00pm
Lincoln Park Store
1720 N. Marcey Street (in the Clybourn Corridor District near Goose Island) (click here for directions)
Cost - $10 (Buy tickets online at www.samswine.com)

Kick off Pinot Days Chicago at Sam’s in Lincoln Park! Enjoy over 20 distinctive pinot noirs and conversations with their acclaimed winemakers, and indulge in specialty cheeses and breads as you do. Ticket price may be applied to your purchase of any of the featured pinots.

The Prodigious Prospectus of Pinot Producers:

• Fort Ross Winery & Vineyard
• Goldeneye Winery
• Macrostie Winery
• Raye's Hill Vineyard & Winery
• Sojourn Cellars
• Ovene Winery
• Handley Cellars
• Picket Fence
• Siduri Wines

PINOT DAYS PINOT TASTING AT SAM’S WINES AND SPIRITS
Wednesday November 7th 4:30 - 8:00pm
Downers Grove Store
2010 Butterfield Road. (click here for directions)
Cost - Complimentary

Four of our favorite pinot producers will pour their finest to interested customers and will talk about their labors of love making wine from this noble grape.  This is an opportunity to taste some of the most acclaimed pinots on the market today, and to meet and talk with the people who create them.