In just a month, Pinot Noir producers and lovers from around the world will converge at the 2014 World of Pinot Noir Festival held along the gorgeous California coast. However, this year’s event has moved about 85 miles south to the Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara. The 14th Annual World of Pinot Noir takes place on Friday, February 28th, and Saturday, March 1st, with a stellar lineup of seminars, winemaker dinners, and tasting sessions showcasing the Pinot Noir varietal.
Once again, the World of Pinot Noir (WOPN) will offer two separate Pinot Noir by the Sea Grand Tastings with 100 different producers at each session. The Grand Tasting sessions take place between 3 and 6 pm each day (tickets are $110) or you can also purchase early access tickets allowing you to enter 30 minutes early, at 2:30 pm (tickets are $125).
At the 2013 World of Pinot Noir
As a premier wine event, WOPN offers intriguing educational components as well as unparalleled food opportunities. Keep reading and we’ll share some highlights of the festival and the associated ticket prices. Tickets are available by going here or by clicking on the logo above but you should move quickly before the activities sell out.
World of Pinot Noir: Friday, February 28th Events
Burgundy & Oregon: Parallels in Latitudes Seminar and Lunch
Friday, 9am – 2pm ($199)
Sharing a latitude (45º North) but separated by 4,000 miles, this seminar will explore the wines of two stellar Pinot Noir producing regions. Katherine Cole will lead attendees on an exploration of the terroir of the Willamette Valleys’s Sub-Appellations, in comparison with Maison Louis Jadot, the featured producer from Burgundy.
Seminar guests will then be treated to a 3-course gourmet lunch in Miró Restaurant prepared by Executive Chef David Reardon and Chef de Cuisine Johan Denizot, created specifically to pair with the wines of the 45th parallel.
Pinot Noir by the Sea Grand Tasting
Friday, 3 -6 pm ($110, or $125 for entrance at 2:30 pm)
Presqu’ile Winery
The Friday Grand Tasting will feature Pinot Noir from more than 100 producers, including Alma Rosa, Archery Summit, Baxter Winery, Chamisal Vineyards, Colene Clemens Vineyards, Domaine Serene, Evening Land Vineyards, Flowers Vineyard & Winery, Kynsi Winery, La Fenêtre, Littorai, Penner-Ash Wine Cellars, Presqu’ile Winery, Soter Vineyards, Talisman Wines, Talley Vineyards, and Tolosa Winery. Start your journey of tasting the world of Pinot Noir, mingle and meet the winemakers and principals, and nibble on fresh, local and seasonal wine country appetizers from the Bacara culinary team (and don’t miss the cheese display from Santa Barbara’s C’est Cheese).
In addition, the Silent Auction will include large format and rare finds and will benefit the Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund and the Keith Patterson Memorial Endowment at Cal Poly. Enjoy the grand views of the ocean and the Bacara grounds as you savor the wines and food.
International Dinner
Friday, 7pm ($165)
Just as every region’s Pinot Noir has its own nuances, each region also has its own cuisine. Come “Taste Around the World” at the Friday Dinner at Bacara’s Miró Restaurant as Chef David Reardon and his culinary team match up with producers from around the world for an incredible 5-course meal. Then, hear what the winemakers think of the pairings and how they compare to “down home cuisine”.
Saturday, March 1st Events:
Hollywood & Wine Seminar and Lunch
Saturday, 10am – 2pm ($130)
Over the past decade, wine has had an increasingly starring role in the movies. Ten years ago, Sideways was filmed here in Santa Barbara County and went on to influence wine preferences around the globe. More recently, the movie Somm captured the angst, emotion and preparation that goes into taking the massively intimidating Master Sommelier Exam. Sara Schneider from Sunset Magazine will lead panelists at this seminar on an exploration of just why Pinot Noir has become such a Hollywood starlet. Can you guess the wines? Can the panelists?
And who else would be best to prepare lunch after this movie-based seminar than Frank Ostini from Hitching Post II, the setting for many scenes in Sideways, putting the restaurant and Frank’s oak-grilled fare on the map.
Pinot Noir by the Sea Grand Tasting
Saturday, 3 -6 pm ($110, or $125 for entrance at 2:30 pm)
Brewer-Clifton
The Saturday Grand Tasting will feature wines from over 100 different producers than Friday, including Ancien Wines, Belle Glos, Brewer-Clifton, Erath Winery, Freeman Vineyard & Winery, Hirsch Vineyards, Kosta Browne Winery, Masút Vineyard and Winery, Melville Vineyards and Winery, Merry Edwards Winery, Peay Vineyards, Robert Talbott Vineyards, Sea Smoke, Stephen Ross Wine Cellars, Williams Selyem, and Windward Vineyard.
The Saturday Dinner Gala
Saturday 7pm ($165)
There is no more fitting way to say goodbye to the World of Pinot Noir than a communal gathering of food and wine. Wander the food stations set up by the entire Bacara culinary team, talk to the chefs, mingle with the winemakers, and find a secret bottle recommendation from a member of the Sommelier team. Eat, Drink, and Enjoy!
So, did you get all that? For complete and thorough details on the 2014 WOPN Festival, including a list of all of the wineries participating and/or to purchase tickets, please go here. We’ve had a wonderful time at past WOPNs and highly recommend the event to others. The World of Pinot Noir is a non-profit organization whose mission is to bring Pinot Noir producers from the most exceptional and unique regions in the world together with Pinot Noir enthusiasts for a weekend of celebration and education on the shores of California’s beautiful Central Coast.
Mixed Berry Pie at Simply Pies in Santa Barbara
If you are going to attend the World of Pinot Noir, and are looking for suggestions on local wineries and restaurants for before and after the event, please go here. If you are a fan of the Pinot Noir varietal, whether or not you can attend WOPN, please go here to see our list of other Pinot Noir-centric events in 2014 across the United States.