Wineries come together for Pigs & Pinot

Bottled good will kicks off the 10th anniversary of Charlie Palmer's Pigs and Pinot event March 20 & 21, with the limited production of a 2013 pinot noir that is a blend of wines from 12 Sonoma County wineries.

'I think the hidden message is what a wonderful community we live in,' said vintner Daryl Groom, who serves as the event's wine chairman.

'When each winemaker was posed the question on participating in the blend, within 24 hours I had a very enthusiastic 'Yes, we are in' from everyone,' Groom said. 'Nowhere else in the wine world would this happen. Could you see iconic Bordeaux producers doing this?'

Groom of Groom Wines and Jesse Katz of Lancaster Estate, both in Healdsburg, are crafting the pinot noir. The contributing wineries are: Cirq, DeLoach, Paul Hobbs, Martinelli, Merry Edwards, Papapietro Perry, Kanzler, Rochioli, Roth, Williams Selyem, Woodenhead, and Kosta Browne.

Artist Bob Johnson designed the label, illustrating the event's credo: the marriage of pork and pinot noir. In addition, the large-format bottlings and corks were donated by Dippel of Rich Xiberta USA, in Cotati.

Only one barrel of this blend has been produced, and the 1.5- and 3-liter bottles are priced at $175 and $300, respectively. For purchase information, visit pigsandpinot.com.

'Pigs & Pinot has raised over $500,000 for charity over the last 10 years,' Groom said. 'This (bottling) alone is expected to raise another $20,000 for local charities.'