Pinot Noir Enthusiasts Gather in Santa Barbara Wine Country for WOPN

Two Days packs full of the wine world’s luminaries, sensational wine country cuisine, illuminating seminars and…more than 225 Pinot Noir Wineries.

The sixteenth annual World of Pinot Noir, taking place on March 4th & 5th, 2016 at Bacara Resort & Spa brings Pinot Noir producers together with Pinot Noir enthusiasts for a weekend of celebration and education. WOPN features educational, culinary and tasting events. The event is a chock-full weekend of events that features Pinot Noir ranging from California, Oregon, Burgundy, Champagne, New Zealand, and Tasmania.

The World of Pinot Noir Friday Focus Tasting showcases 100 Pinot producers pouring a vineyard designate and library wine selection. The Saturday Grand Tasting features a different lineup of wineries and expands to 125 brands. Both tastings feature wine country appetizers from Bacara Executive Chef Vincent Lesage. For additional information or to purchase tickets visit: www.worldofpinotnoir.com. Follow on Facebook for additional information and updates.

Pinot Focused Seminars

• A Sparkling Evolution explores the grower-producer Champagne and Sparkling wine movement
• The Diversity of Maison Joseph Drouhin’s Burgundy with Frederic Drouhin focuses on a tasting of wine from different “climats” and Burgundy’s recent designation as a World Heritage site by UNESCO
• Côte d’ Or March Madness is an educational Premier Cru wine tasting that pits the best villages from the Côte de Beaune against the Côte de Nuit –
• Debunking the Myth: Cheese & Chocolate wine pairing seminars features fromagers and chocolatiers throwing down the gauntlet to winemakers

Featured Pinot Noir Dinners  

• Southwestern featuring “ranchero” style cuisine prepared by Frank Ostini of Hitching Post II
• Pacific Northwest with guest Chef Jason French from Oregon’s Ned Ludd restaurant
• Country French dinner prepared by Bacara Executive Chef Vincent Lesage
• The Rock Stars of Pinot Noir event honoring Josh Jensen with Calera Wine Company
• Pioneers & Protégés dinner pairs wines and cuisine with winemaker mentors and mentees

Pinot in the Movies

• The winning films from the inaugural International Wine Film Festival will be shown on the big screen in the resort’s state of the art theatre. Somm: Into the Bottle will be screened on Saturday afternoon.

The World of Pinot Noir takes place annually during the first weekend in March. The event is renowned for bringing Pinot Noir producers from the most exceptional and unique regions from around the world to California’s Central Coast. A portion of the funds from the World of Pinot Noir silent auction benefit the Michael Bonaccorsi Foundation with Allan Hancock College and the Keith Patterson Memorial Endowment at Cal Poly University. Expect legions of crystal stemware, filled with amazing wines, complemented by Wine Country cuisine – all set on the shores of the Pacific Ocean – the edge of the Western Hemisphere.