2015 marks WOPN’s 15th Anniversary, fittingly our Crystal Anniversary. Expect legions of crystal stemware, filled with amazing wines, complemented by Santa Barbara Wine Country cuisine and all set on the shores of the Pacific Ocean – the edge of the Western Hemisphere. Events are sold on a first-come, first-served basis – we look forward to sharing a glass (or two) of Pinot with you.
To Purchase tickets click here: WOPN Tickets
For a description of events click here: WOPN Events
2015 World of Pinot Noir Events
Start your journey on Friday morning when WOPN delivers the much anticipated Friday Seminar Series. World renowned wine critic and journalist Jancis Robinson will lead winemaker panelists Fred Loimer (Weingut Fred Loimer, Austria), Hannes Storm (Storm Wines, South Africa), Courtney Kingston (Kingston Family Vineyards, Chile), Grant Stanley (50th Parallel Estate, Canada), and Ted Lemon (Burn Cottage Vineyard, NZ) through a discussion and tasting comparing how Pinot Noir has expressed herself in those regions. The second half of the seminar will focus on our Featured Burgundy producer, Domaine Marc Roy. Fourth-generation winemaker, Alexandrine Roy will join Jancis for a tasting of wines from her family’s prestigious Gevrey-Chambertin estate.
Our Friday Pinot Noir by the Sea Focus Tasting will feature 100 producers each pouring library and current release selections. Meet and mingle with the winemakers and hear their take on regional terroir and vintages. Make sure to check out all our winery participants, while you nibble on seasonal wine country appetizers from the Bacara culinary team. Don’t miss your opportunity to bid on large format silent auction items and sample the cheese display from C’est Cheese.
It’s Surf or Turf…Water, Earth & Fire for dinner on Friday night at WOPN! Choose from a set of three very focused and intimate dinners from three of our favorite local restaurants.
The Bacara Wine Cellar will once again be the setting for the intimate Featured Burgundy Dinner. Three dozen guests will dine with our featured Burgundy producer, Alexandrine Roy. Domaine Marc Roy is one of the smallest domains in Burgundy and Alexandrine has graciously raided her own cellar for this special dinner. She has selected 2012 Marsannay Les Champs Perdrix Blanc, 2011 Gevrey-Chambertin “La Justice” and 2006-2009 Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Prieur to pair with the six-course, gourmet meal created by Chef Reardon.
The Saturday WOPN Burgundy Seminar continues to receive accolades from industry and consumers alike. Don Kinnan has raised the stakes again. This year he is joined by wine educator Nick Poletto as they focus in on Côte Chalonnaise, Gevrey-Chambertin & Vosne-Romanée.
Renowned for being a food friendly varietal, explore how Pinot Noir pairs with mushrooms and sea urchin at our Foodie Frenzy Seminars on Saturday morning. Listen to local funghi guru and educator Bob Cummings discuss everything about mycology and how regional Pinot Noir pairs with mushrooms. Local sea urchin expert, Stephanie Mutz, will lead guests on an exploration of this spiny creature with Pinot pairings from the Bacara culinary team. Enjoy 3 wine & food pairings at each seminar, a cooking demonstration, and the additional insight provided by our winemaker panelists including Ryan Zotovich (Zotovich Estate Vineyard), Gray Hartley (Hitching Post II) and others yet to be determined.
The Saturday Pinot Noir by the Sea Grand Tasting will feature a different roster of wineries from California and even more wines from our international and regional participants. The Grand Tasting continues the World of Pinot Noir tradition of Pinot Noir by the Sea. The Grand Ballroom and Terraces will be the setting for more than 120 producers of our alluring grape. Chef David Reardon and his culinary team will pull out all the stops with tasty pinot inspired appetizers. C’est Cheese will be there with their incredible cheese tasting and our Silent Auction returns with a new slate of magnums, verticals and special bottlings.
As this is the fifteenth anniversary of the World of Pinot Noir, you can expect a lot of crystal stemware to grace your table. Join us at the Black tie optional 6-course Crystal Anniversary Dinner and enjoy the exemplary service of our sommeliers and the exquisite wine country cuisine of the Bacara culinary team. Indulge on a library selection from the 2000 vintage as well as a current release from each of our featured participants: Talley Vineyards, Williams Selyem Winery, Calera Wine Co., Foxen Vineyard & Winery, Patz & Hall and one additional winery yet to be named.
You’ll often hear our audience refer to rock star wineries, and at WOPN there is no shortage of rock star producers. This year we are paying tribute to one winemaker who has been crafting beautiful wines and been an integral part of WOPN for many years. It gives us great pleasure to honor Jim Clendenen of Au Bon Climat Winery as our featured Rock Star of Pinot Noir. Gear up for a little rock n’ roll under the stars with the Rock Stars of Pinot Noir Dinner event! Discover your perfect Pinot pairing with food stations designed by the Bacara culinary team and large format bottle selections from our winery participants.
Bacara Resort & Spa WOPN Room Rates: Bacara is offering special WOPN room rates from March 1st through March 7th. Last year the resort was completely booked before February so please make your plans early for this upcoming year.
To make a reservation during WOPN at Bacara or for additional information on room offerings please call their reservationist at 1.888.974.5271 or click on the link: Bacara Room Booking Link
Enter the group code to view the special room rate information on their website: WOPN Group Code: WOPN0215
World of Pinot Noir – Bringing Pinot Noir producers together with Pinot Noir enthusiasts for a weekend of celebration & education on March 6th & 7th, 2015 at Bacara Resort, Santa Barbara, CA.
We look forward to seeing you at the 15th World of Pinot Noir!
