Littorai & Burn Cottage Pinot Noir Dinners in Melbourne and Sydney

Littorai was founded back in 1993 by Ted Lemon and his wife Heidi, and makes serious expressions of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from selected vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino. The gravity-flow winery, completed in 1998, is environmentally sensitive, built of straw bales, with all the waste being recycled. The 30 acre property surrounding it is farmed biodynamically, and is self-sustaining.

Ted has extensive experience in Europe. He began by studying Enology at the Universite de Bourgogne, followed by spells working at a number of Burgundy properties, including Dujac, De Villaine, Roumier, Parent and Bruno Clair. Indeed, one of his claims to fame is that he was the first American ever hired as a winemaker and vineyard manager of a Burgundian estate at Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault-this was when Ted was in his mid-20s. As a result of his experience here, and also later experience gained back in California, he has become a thoughtful, talented winemaker.

These wines are superb, but they're hard to get hold of (made in small quantities, plus high demand), and they aren't cheap. So it's rare to find them outside the USA, but they're well worth seeking out. As well as making his own wines, Ted consults to others, most notably new superstar biodynamic Central Otago winery Burn Cottage. JAMIE GOODE, www.wineanorak.com

Burn Cottage was created by Marquis Sauvage, an American wine importer with Maverick in Chicago and Classic Wines in Denver. Sauvage was born in 1967 on a large Kansas cattle farm. He got into wine at graduate school, gaining an MBA at the University of Denver. During a holiday in New Zealand while on his way to Australia on business, he flew over the piece of land previously used for sheep grazing about a mile from Felton Road in Otago that he eventually turned into Burn Cottage. From November 2003 Ted Lemon of Littorai Wines in California agreed to oversee the planting of Burn Cottage's 11 ha of mainly Pinot Noir vines. Lemon's one condition was that Burn Cottage be biodynamic from the start. MONTY WALDIN MW www.jancisrobinson.com

Join us for a special dinner where we will be joined by Ted Lemon, owner and winemaker at Littorai and Marquis Sauvage who owns Burn Cottage in Central Otago where Ted is responsible for the winemaking. It's a brilliant line up of food and wine and you can reserve your place by telephoning the store on (03) 9686 3033 or by booking on line here. We expect places to sell out quickly!

A glass of Andre Clouet (100% Pinot Noir) Grande Reserve on arrival with canapés followed by an eight course degustation menu

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Littorai Mays Pinot Noir 2009 (California)

Littorai Mays Pinot Noir 2007 (California)

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