Tomorrow, I head south to Oregon for the International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville.

It's been two years since I attended this amazing event. Suffice it to say, I have been awaiting this week for well over a year, when I realized how much I missed out in not attending the 2009 gathering.

This year, I am road tripping with my Dad to Portland, who has been in Seattle this past week for a family reunion celebrating his 80th birthday. The last four nights hosting my dad and other members of my extended family have offered a terrific opportunity to open and enjoy some Oregon wines, red, rose', and white. It's been a lot of fun celebrating wonderful local food with a variety of delicious Oregon wines these past few nights.

It's rather fortuitous that I am making this journey to Oregon with my father, who grew up in Portland after moving there in the 1930's from Kansas (more about my stumptown roots here). I am really looking forward to experiencing Portland tomorrow from my Dad's perspective, reliving some of his younger memories while creating some lasting ones of our own.

In the coming days, I will do my best to share firsthand experiences as well as linking to others attending IPNC 2010. I am eager to let my total wine geekness shine bright on the fruit of the most captivating grape, Pinot noir! :-)

Related Links
BeyondtheBottle.com's Coverage of IPNC 2008