Lula Cellars Pours Newest Pinot Release at Festival’s Grand Tasting, Presents a Winemaker Dinner on the Coast, and Hosts a Winery Open House to Conclude the Weekend
PHILO, CA – (April 26, 2016) – Lula Cellars, located in Mendocino’s lauded Anderson Valley wine country, is pleased to announce the winery’s participation in the 19th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival. Taking place from May 20-22 and offering attendees a host of events, including tastings, winemaker dinners, and conferences held at different wineries and inns throughout Mendocino County, this iconic three-day festival is the only one in the world that celebrates a single varietal from a single appellation. At this year’s event, Lula Cellars will pour its 2013 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir at the festival’s Grand Tasting, held on Saturday, May 21, and later that evening, a selection of Lula’s Pinot Noirs will be poured at the Pinot Noir Festival Winemaker Dinner at the Ledford House on the Mendocino Coast. To close out the weekend, Lula Cellars will host a Winery Open House at its tasting room on Sunday, May 22.
“As with every year we are very excited to be participating in this year’s Pinot Noir Festival, and even more thrilled to be pouring our newest Pinot release, the 2013 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir, at the Grand Tasting,” states Jeff Hansen, winemaker for Lula Cellars. “Not only does our participation in the festival allow individuals to try some of our best and newest releases, but it allows us to celebrate, along with all the other amazing vintners in the region, some of the best Pinot Noirs in the world.”
On Saturday, May 21, Lula Cellars will pour its 2013 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir at the festival’s 19th Annual Grand Tasting, held at Goldeneye Winery in Philo. This wine was produced from grapes from two fifteen-year-old vineyards located on the eastside of the Anderson Valley, and was entirely handmade in small fermentation vats.
The 2013 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir is a blend of four clones, all of which were barrel aged separately for 12 months in 50 percent new French oak barrels. Once the final blend was achieved, the wine was returned to the barrels for an additional six months to allow the individual clones to meld together, resulting in an exceptional fruit-forward pinot noir that expresses flavors of raspberries, plum and dried cherry. It pairs perfectly with Lamb Sliders topped with Goat Cheese; Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Potato Salad; and Pappardelle Pasta with Porcini Mushrooms.
At the Grand Tasting, wine aficionados will be given the opportunity to taste world-class Pinot Noirs alongside a delicious array of small plates and bites, such as grilled lamb, hand-thrown pizzas, and local cured salmon – all carefully chosen to complement these exceptional Anderson Valley wines. In addition to sipping and nibbling, attendees will have the opportunity to listen to live music, chat with winemakers, and partake in a silent auction, all while enjoying the beautiful setting of the winery. The Grand Tasting takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Goldeneye Winery, located at 9200 Hwy 128 in Philo, CA. Tickets are $125 per person and can be purchased at http://www.avwines.com/anderson-valley-pinot-noir-festival/. Tickets are non-refundable. Please no children or pets.
After the Grand Tasting on Saturday, festival attendees can head over to the Mendocino Coast for the Pinot Noir Festival Winemaker Dinner at the Ledford House. Join Jeff Hansen, winemaker from Lula Cellars, for an evening of incredible Pinot Noir paired with a delicious four-course meal prepared by Chef Lisa Geer from the spectacular oceanfront Ledford House. Wine & hors d’oeuvres reception starts at 6:00 pm. The menu for the French Bistro-style Dinner includes Parsnip Soup with Arugula Oil, Pesca Crudo, Roast Beet Ravioli with Goat Cheese & Herbs, a Classic Toulouse Cassoulet (white beans, duck, lamb, pork, baked with breadcrumbs), and Chocolate Ménage Trois. Coffee & Tea service is included as well. Tickets are priced at $100 per person, and includes tax and gratuity. To purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.avwines.com/winemaker-dinner-at-ledford-house-on-the-coast-19th-annual-anderson-valley-pinot-noir-festival/
To close the weekend, Lula Cellars will be participating in the Winery Open Houses on Sunday, May 22. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Lula Cellars invites festival-goers to stop by the winery to taste their full selection of varietals, including Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Rosato and Dry Gewurztraminer, which will be paired with delicious grilled beef short ribs. This event is free and open to the general public.
To further extend your fun, the weekend will kick off with a casual BBQ at the valley’s newest winery tasting room, Pennyroyal Farm, on Friday, May 20. Mingle with the winemakers, Pinot fans and guests. Taste Pinot Noirs from both near and far – plus sample a few surprises. Guests are encouraged to bring a bottle to share. Chef David LaMonica will serve up tasty BBQ fare, and the Joe Blow Band will have folks up dancing to their driving blues and rock and roll live music.
For further information on the 19TH ANNUAL PINOT NOIR FESTIVAL, please visit http://www.avwines.com/anderson-valley-pinot-noir-festival/ or call 707.895.WINE.
About the Lula Cellars Property
In October 2014, Lula Cellars opened its new 22-acre Philo property to the public, which is nestled amongst the rolling hills of bucolic Anderson Valley. For festival-goers, or travelers to Mendocino County in general, Lula Cellars’ new tasting room offers a unique experience for wine tasting in the Anderson Valley. In addition to a tasting room, the new property (with a quarter mile of frontage along Hwy 128 in Philo) features a pond, a 14-acre Pinot Noir vineyard, a small-production winemaking facility, and a newly opened 10,000 square foot ‘Events Area’ available for weddings and other private events. Located at 2800 Guntley Road in Philo (at the corner of Hwy 128 and Guntley Road), the pet-friendly tasting room offers stunning views of the surrounding property and the Pinot Noir growing area known as “The Deep End” on the west end of the Anderson Valley.
Lula Cellars tasting room is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. To contact the tasting room, please call 707.895.3737.
About Lula Cellars
Lula Cellars is a small production, ultra-premium label with a yearly case production of 3,500 cases, comprised of Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Dry Gewurztraminer, Rosato and Sauvignon Blanc. Lula Cellars produces wines entirely from vineyards in Mendocino County, California. Since 2010, Lula Cellars has built a reputation of integrity, positive customer relations and stellar wines. The goal of Lula Cellars is simple: to produce quality, world class wines and to offer them at prices that are reasonable, by selling directly to consumers (no distributors or retailers involved). Winemaker Jeff Hansen, a thirty year wine industry veteran, named Lula Cellars for his maternal grandmother Lula, who was born in 1879 and lived to the age of 89. For further information on Lula Cellars, please visit www.lulacellars.com.
