10th Annual Pinot Noir Summit Stars 'Sideways' Author Rex Pickett

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sideways novelist Rex Pickett will make a rare public appearance at the 10th Annual Pinot Noir Summit on February 25, 2012 at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District.

Santa Monica-based Pickett will reveal the truth and fiction between his life and Miles the protagonist in Sideways and chat about his two newest projects: the release of his own Merlot, "Apostate," and the premiere of Sideways, The Play. Pickett will be interviewed on stage by writer and wine blogger Alana Gentry, a.k.a. Girl with a Glass.

After Pickett stars at the San Francisco event, the winning wines from the Pinot Noir Summit will play a leading role at the 12-week run of Sideways, The Play premiering at Santa Monica's Ruskin Group Theatre in April. Sideways fans will receive complimentary Pinot Noir during the show and intermission.

"I want you to walk in like you were in a tasting room back in the 70s in Sonoma when they didn't charge you, remember those days? You get a pour, maybe a 2nd pour, in a proper glass ... I knew that we didn't want jugs of Yellow Tail Merlot in plastic cups for five bucks and besides that, this is Sideways, that ain't going to happen. Then I met Barbara Drady (on Twitter) and it's just such a relief ... it's a wine/win," says Pickett.

Barbara Drady, CEO and Chief Wine Evangelist of AFFAIRS of the VINE and Pinot Noir Summit producer, conceived the idea of having amateur wine enthusiasts pick the winners for the Summit and the new Sideways play. 350 Pinot Noir Summit ticket holders will blind taste forty-two Pinot Noirs culled by professional tasters from a pool of 460 entrants. No information will be revealed about the wines until the Grand Awards Tasting & Ceremony at 8:00 p.m. Attendees will also cast votes to select five of the wines that will be invited to pour at Sideways, The Play. Avid wine collector, Spencer Christian, of KGO/ABC, will unveil the wines that received the most votes from the professional and amateur tasters.

In celebration of the 10th year of the Pinot Noir Summit, sparkling wines will be paired with oysters from Marin County's Drakes Bay Oyster Company in a casual reception after the blind tasting. Other local food purveyors include Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. and Walnut Creek's Recente Italiano. There will also be three afternoon workshops moderated by professional wine judges Ellen Landis, Laura Ness and Sid Sall discussing ocean-influences, favorite vintages of winemakers, and appellation variations.

Tickets are available at http://www.affairsofthevine.com. All-inclusive tickets, 1:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., are $130.00 per person. Tickets for the Grand Awards Tasting and Ceremony, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. only, are $85.00 per person.

Media Inquiries:
AFFAIRS of the VINE
Barbara Drady, Chief Wine Evangelist
696 Elliott Lane
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707.874.1975
[email protected] 
http://www.affairsofthevine.com

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SOURCE Affairs of the Vine