L.A. WINELINE L.A. TO BE ZIN CITY.

Byline: - Larry Lipson

The ZAPpers will be in town on St. Patrick's Day.

ZAP stands for Zinfandel Advocates & Producers. It's a promotional arm for zin that includes its fanciers and makers. Some 75 members will pour their latest releases at the Century Club, 10131 Constellation Blvd., Century City.

It had nothing to do with the Irish, though Murphy-Goode is one of the labels.

The public is invited from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets: $45 advance (ZAP members $35), at door $50, purchase online at www.zinfandel.org or [phone].

FURTHER ZINFORMATION: On March 20, the winner of the 2004 L.A. County Fair zinfandel competition, the 2001 Harmony Cellars entry, will be re-released at the winery. It follows a day after the 13th annual Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival taking place March 19 at the California Mid-State Fairgrounds.

Cost of the festival is $10 (includes a barbecued sausage sandwich and live jazz music). Time is 1 to 4 p.m.

Harmony Cellars is located in the town of Harmony on Highway 1, 30 minutes north of San Luis Obispo.

Information and directions at www.harmonycellars.com or via [phone].

ALL-PINOT PUBLICATION: For the ``Sideways'' gang there's a publication devoted strictly to pinot noir from California, Oregon, New Zealand and Australia called PinotReport.

Editor and publisher Gregory S. Walter says it's ``more than just a collection of wine reviews. It's also about the lifestyle surrounding Western pinot noir.''

The latest issue (yearly subscription of 12 issues for $75 or an online subscription for $125) offers 57 of Walter's 2005 Pinot Passion Awards.

Incidentally, his top pinot value of 2004 is the HRM Rex Goliath Central Coast Free Range pinot noir priced at $7.99.

Information: www.pinotreport.com.

MORE PINOT: Some 30 of the best producers of Sonoma coast and Russian River pinot noir will showcase barrel lots of their 2004 vintage at the Hospices of Sonoma Charity Auction April 29 through May 1.

The three-day course of events takes place at different venues.

Separate tickets ($75 to $250) are needed for each.

Information and tickets: www. hospicesofsonoma.org or [phone].

SIPS & NIBBLES: Look for the provocatively labeled (green, orange and purple) wines titled FishEye with pinot grigio, chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon bottlings priced at around $8. Information: www.fisheyewines.com. ... Heard of Suisun Valley? Probably not. But you will. It's starting to promote its wares. Yes, it's in California and it's the home of numerous grape growers and a smattering of wineries, including Ledgewood Creek. Interested? Look it up on ww.svgga.com. ... L.A. County Fair's Wines of the World competition drew 3,800 entries last year. Deadline for entering a wine this year is April 1. Judging takes place May 11-13 and the Fair itself, which showcases some 2000 wines that include the winners, runs from Sept. 9 through Oct. 2. Information: www.fairplex.com or call [phone]. ... And one final pinot noir note: If you're in the market for a Santa Barbara-area pinot, the Duke of Bourbon in Canoga Park stocks some of the best labels, like Hitching Post, Worx Cellars, Foxen, Au Bon Climat, Carlson and Rusack. Information: [phone] or www.dukeofbourbon.com.

Larry Lipson, [phone]

larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com