In a lucky coincidence—long before the movie made pinot noir part of the public awareness—the Santa Cruz Mountain Winemakers Association had planned its first annual pinot noir tasting, called Pinot Paradise, to celebrate the small red grape.

"Pinot noir is on everyone's awareness radar now," smiles David Moulton, event chairman and owner of the Burrell School Winery on Summit Road in Los Gatos. "Pinot noir growers are all benefiting [from the movie]—even merlot, which the movie slammed pretty well." Planned for April 10 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Testarossa Vineyards in Los Gatos, the tasting festival features 25 wineries, all pouring pinot noir, complemented by unusual hors d'oeuvres created by the executive chefs of 12 local restaurants.

"We want to promote where and why we grow pinot noir," says Moulton. It was Moulton who dreamed up the event so that he and fellow growers could illustrate why the 25 wineries in the Santa Cruz Mountain appellation—a French term designating a specific growing area—produce exceptional pinot noir grapes.

The moist mountain climate influenced by the ocean is ideal, Moulton says. But the grape-yield per acre is lower than for other crops, and the 250 acres devoted to pinot noir out of a total 4,000 acres under cultivation in the mountain area make it a more expensive wine to produce. Most commercial prices run in the $50 to $60 range per bottle. Moulton charges $34 for his bottles that feature the little red Burrell schoolhouse on the label.

The Pinot Paradise tasting event is an opportunity for wine lovers to taste the best of the area for a $30 advance ticket. Based on the action so far, Moulton says, the 700 tickets are likely to be sold out before the event.

Of the 25 wineries participating, the Saratoga area will feature Savannah Chanelle and Cinnabar Vineyards. Los Gatos is represented by Byington, David Bruce, Testerossa and Burrell School wineries. The beneficiary of the event proceeds is the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association, which includes 60 wineries in the appellation, 25 of them producing pinot noir.

Several of the participating restaurants have created special hors d'oeuvres designed to go well with the silky red wine. Each restaurant has offered to make 1,000 servings and will be assisted by 40 volunteers. Los Gatos chef Jeff LeDesma of the Forbes Mill Steak House is planning Kobe peppered filets on skewers that reflect his years in Hawaii. Chef Scott Cooper of Le Papillon Restaurant on Saratoga Avenue is providing wild mushroom custard with braised veal sweetbreads. Viva Restaurant and the California Café, both of Los Gatos, also are taking part.

For more information about the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrowers Association, call 831.479.9463 or visit www.scmwa.com.

WINE CRUISIN'

Testarossa Vineyards of Los Gatos has been selected as the featured winery by the Silversea Cruise Lines for its wine cruise from Rome to Monte Carlo, July 7­15. Testarossa joins Duckhorn, Domaine Carneros, Heitz, Spottswoode and Veuve Cliquot as featured wineries on Silversea's winemaker cruises. For more information on the Silversea/Testarossa cruise, visit www.silversea.com or www.mmtravel.net.