I just had a Pinot with pizza the other day, wondering how that would fare… It did really well as a combo.

1. I don’t enjoy a lot of red sauce on my pizza, so I ordered it that way. This seemed to keep all the acid in balance. Mary’s Pizza always gets it right for me.
2. Next, I love tons of mozzarella cheese on my pizzas, also ordering it that way. The amount of cheese it had married well with the rustic Pinot I was enjoying. It was a 2009 “The Seeker” Pinot Noir, Vins de Pays du Puy de Dôme – France.

So, when I got a press release in the mail about Pinot & Pizza at J Winery, I began to drool.

SIDEBAR: Last week, I read a wine editor’s comment on Facebook. It was written: I can’t believe some people still send press releases by snail mail. Yes, it makes them stand out, but not necessarily in a positive way.

I respectfully disagree. I love press releases that come via snail mail. I can take my time with them, they hang around, they get used as material, and this one about J was a tempting, in my neighborhood event. I’m heading over there…

Details…

Saturday, June 16, 2012 ~ 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

A Celebration of Pinot & Pizza

at J Vineyards & Winery

$20 per person for J club members ~ $40 per person for the general public

J is teaming up with Healdsburg-based chef and author Andrea Mugnaini, for a Pinot & Pizza wine celebration at the J Vistor Center. Mugnaini has a large pizza over that she’s be using to cook up her tasty treats. J’s executive chef Mark E. Caldwell is going to be joining Andrea, and they’ll be creating a variety of pizzas featuring farm-fresh organic vegetables, Bellwether Farms artisanal cheeses, and Merchants & Millers olive oil.

All of the pizzas will be paired with J Vineyards Russian River Valley Estate Pinot Noir wines.

For tickets, call 707-431-5479, or 707-431-5430. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.jwine.com.

Mugnaini will also be signing copies of her book, The Art of Wood Fired Cooking.

I’ve enjoyed many J Wine events, and I can tell you that they’re always a class act.