This past weekend saw the 26th annual International Pinot Noir Celebration in McMinnville, Oregon. The event brings together winemakers from around the world along with consumers, trade, and media to celebrate and discuss this much heralded grape. Today, a few of my favorite quotes from last weekend’s event.

“There is a truth in Pinot Noir that you can’t find in any other wine with the possible exception of Riesling.”
— Allen Meadows of Burghound on why there is such intense interest in the grape

“Pinot Noir is the messenger but not the message.”
— Allen Meadows, Burghound

“It’s hard not to be moved when you find beauty in the glass.”
— Allen Meadows, Burghound

“Wine and food bring people together.”
— Bill Stoller of Stoller Vineyards on what makes wine so special

“I couldn’t stand prosperity.”
— Allen Meadows of Burghound on why he chose life as a wine writer

“Terroir is everywhere. I have terroir in my backyard but it doesn’t have anything to say.”
— Allen Meadows, Burghound

“You can’t buy time. Time is what the Burgundians have.”
— Allen Meadows of Burghound on the long history of grape growing in Burgundy

“We’re midwifing 86 acres of grapes, and we’ve got to be ready. We get one shot a year to do it right.”
— Alex Sokol Blosser of Sokol Blosser on wine growing

“We spend eleven months out of the year farming our one ingredient for wine.”
— Josh Bergström of Bergström Wines

“Picking time is everything.”
— Peter Rosback, Sineann on the importance of picking decisions during harvest

“It’s what establishes style.”
— Josh Bergström of Bergström Wines on the importance of picking date during harvest

“If the year is bad for the human spirit, it’s great for Pinot Noir.”
— Josh Bergström of Bergström Wines

“Oregon shotgun sales went through the roof in 2010.”
— Josh Bergström of Bergström Wines on wine growers trying to scare away the birds that descended during harvest

“It was the lock and load vintage.”
— Alex Sokol Blosser of Sokol Blosser on the 2010 vintage in Oregon

“The goal with birds is you want to convince them to go to your neighbor’s vineyard.”
— Alex Sokol Blosser of Sokol Blosser on dealing with migratory birds

“I don’t want to underestimate how important that beer buying decision is at harvest time to keep the harvest team in good spirits.”
— Alex Sokol Blosser of Sokol Blosser discussing important steps at harvest

“Who wouldn’t want to be a flying winemaker?”
— Michael Davies of Rex Hill Vineyards on making wine in multiple places around the globe

“The glamour of flying winemaking wears off pretty quickly.”
— Ray Walsh of Capitello Wines

“It is an incredibly, incredibly humbling process to make Pinot Noir.”
— Courtney Kingston of Kingston Family Vineyards

“I became a winemaker with a capital W before I knew what my style was.”
— Thomas Bachelder of Bachelder

“There’s a technical term for that kind of vintage. It’s ‘slutty.’”
— David Adelsheim of Adelsheim Vineyard on the warm 1994 vintage in Oregon

“(Pinot Noir) captures the soul of Mother earth.”
— Allen Meadows, Burghound