One of the longest running wine tasting events in San Francisco is also one of its best. While the city often plays host to really huge public tastings like ZAP, Family Winemakers, and PinotDays, some of the better tastings are more intimate and focused. Both words appropriately describe PinotFest, a low key event held every year at Farallon Restaurant.

Despite practically non-existent marketing or announcement, PinotFest quietly pulls together 50 or so top producers of West Coast Pinot Noir every year for a dedicated crowd of Pinot lovers in San Francisco. Attendees get nibbles from Farallon’s kitchen, and access for a few hours to many hard to find Pinot Noirs that often don’t appear at the larger public tastings.

This year’s wineries will include:

Adelsheim, Alma Rosa, Argyle, Au Bon Climat, Bonaccorsi, Brewer Clifton, Byron, Calera, Cambria, Chehalem, Cobb, Costa de Oro, Domaine Drouhin, Domaine Serene, El Molino, Etude, Failla, Fiddlehead, Flowers, Fort Ross, Foxen, Freestone, Gloria Ferrer, Greenwood Ridge, Handley, Hartford, Hendry, Hitching Post, Iron Horse, J Vineyards, Keller Estate, Kosta Browne, Littorai, Londer, Lynmar, Marimar Torres, Melville, Merry Edwards, Michaud, Morgan, Patz & Hall, Paul Hobbs, Peay, Pey-Marin, Ponzi, Rex Hill, Radio Coteau, Saintsbury, Robert Sinskey, Siduri, Skewis, Soter, Talisman, Talley, Testarossa, Thomas Fogarty, Whitcraft, and Williams Selyem.

While, at $100, this tasting may be expensive for some, it is only the price of 1-2 bottles of most of these producers, and by far the least expensive way of getting a chance to taste a lot of them in one setting.

PinotFest 2009
Saturday November 21
3:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Farallon Restaurant, 4th Floor
450 Post Street
San Francisco, CA 94108

Tickets are $100 per person and can be ordered online or by calling 415-956-6969.