An event for discriminating wine lovers

Pinot Noir and Burgundy Red Wines are called the most subtle of wines – aromas of berries and floral notes, flavors of dark berries and earth, light to medium bodied, usually with low tannins. Most Pinots are elegant rather than powerful. Pinot Noir grapes are thin-skinned and are considered difficult to grow well.

Despite the challenges of producing fine Pinot, it has continually increased in fame and sales since the 2004 movie “Sideways.” Pinot Around the World is a fundraiser for the “Cooking With Chefs” program of the Chefs de Cuisine Education Foundation. Our professional chefs hold in-person, after school healthy cooking classes for students in neighborhoods that have some of the highest incidences of childhood diabetes and childhood obesity in San Diego County.

Pinot Around the World proudly presents The Wine and The Food

Chef Javier Rubio (former head chef at the Bonita Country Club and known throughout the region for unsurpassed Paella mastery) has recently introduced an uncompromising line of gourmet empanadas that headline the culinary portion our Pinot extravaganza along with tantalizing offerings by outstanding local chefs featured below.

Feast on the Ropa Vieja Empanada with shredded slow-cooked short rib seasoned with garlic onion and bell peppers. Feel the warmth of the Potato Adobado Empanada with dried chilies and onion and garlic dressed with extra virgin olive oil. Taste the silky luxury of the Spinach and Artichoke Empanada with white wine and expertly seasoned with asiago cheese, garlic and onion. For the fish lover in us all, a new take on the classic Bacalao Empanada with salted cod is lovingly hydrated and slow cooked with Sauvignon Blanc, sofrito and Spanish olives. All are accompanied by a tantalizing array of sauces.

First Tasting: An aged Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley in Oregon will be presented as an entry to the tasting with a masterful charcuterie presentation by Chef Ricardo Santana

• Duck Pond Pinot Gris 25th Anniversary Oregon 2017

Second Tasting: The Southern Hemisphere offers a top Pinot from Chile, an elusive New Zealand Pinot and a delightful Tasmanian Pinot from vineyards likely closest to the South Pole enhanced by an uplifting Spanish gazpacho by Chef Mary Trimmins

• Santa Rita Secret Reserve Pinot Noir D. O. Leyda Chile 2022

• Escarpment Pinot Noir Martinborough North Island New Zealand 2020

• Maison L’Envoye Pinot Noir Tasmania Coal River Valley 2017

Third Tasting: Moving to the Northern Hemisphere and the cool climate of German river valleys, we taste and evaluate two Pinots from Germany, bought directly from the importers and, hopefully, aged to perfection with a choice of Empanada

• Schneider Weiler Spatburgunder Trocken Unfiltered Baden 2016

• Heitlinger Pinot Meunier Baden 2016

Finally, a perfect Pinot comparison: An Oregon Pinot from the Willamette Valley with a 94 rating from Wine Enthusiast Magazine offered alongside a Premier Cru Burgundy with a choice of empanada

• Lenne Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Oregon 2022

• Joseph Drouhin Maranges Premier Cru Burgundy Beaune France 2022

Playful dessert wines come with soft luscious clouds of Belgian Chocolate Brownies with Walnuts, and Decadent Lemon Bars sculpted by Chef Paul de Puyt

Many of the wines presented and discussed are from the cellar of Brad Bruce, wine judge, educator and member of the Board of Directors of the Chefs de Cuisine Education Foundation.

Chefs de Cuisine Education Foundation is 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, FEIN 91-2152672.

Donations are tax deductible.

Grandma Lulu's Breakfast and Wellness Program is completely free for all participants. Participants enjoy a delicious plant-based meal, organic produce, and valuable nutritional information along with recipes that highlight the amazing taste and cost-effectiveness of plant-based eating.

Meet Chef Tommy Gomes, star of The Fishmonger, a thrilling outdoor cooking show that focuses on the art of seafood and marine life. It is beginning its second season streaming on the MyOutdoor TV website and is available on demand at Amazon Prime. Tommy will feature his hand-crafted “Seacuterie” accompanied by fabulous creations from Master Sushi Chefs Jeff Roberto and David Yee of Sushi On A Roll, Chef Ricardo Santana of California’s Best Catering Co, Chef David Chenelle of the Marine Corps Air Station, and dessert masters Chef Paul De Puyt, Chef Debra Childers, and Chef Mary Trimmins.

Thanks to J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines for providing premium Flume Crossing Sauvignon Blanc, J. Lohr Wildflower Valdiguié, and Riverstone Chardonnay, all curated by award-winning California Wine Judge Brad Bruce.

And much appreciation to the Tony Gwynn Legacy Foundation and AleSmith Brewing Company for providing their .394 Pale Ale that honors Padre Allstar Tony Gwynn and his career-high .394 batting average, which is the second highest in major league baseball history.

This fundraiser supports the “Cooking With Chefs” series that gives healthy recipes, recipe ingredients, and cooking, food safety, and nutrition classes to youngsters in underserved San Diego neighborhoods.

Location: Tunaville Market and Grocery, 4904 N Harbor Dr, Suite 102, San Diego, CA 92106

Cost: $65 per person, members; $75 per person, non-members.

The Chefs de Cuisine Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation FEIN91-2152672