The local vineyards, after a usually wet winter, are surrounded by idyllic rolling green hills, and the vines burst with bud break. The rapture of the quiet view is the muse for a wine lover’s imagination. Closer to the ocean though a resounding vibration swells as hundreds and then thousands of people descend upon the quaint beach town of Shell Beach to celebrate the grape that holds a special place in their heart.

But there is another element at work during the World of Pinot Noir that makes it more than a celebration as well as an opportunity to indulge in Pinot Noir. As a premier wine event, WOPN offers an unparalleled education component for its guests.

This is one reason the world class sommelier Rajat Parr with Michael Mina restaurants, and Sandhi Wines, says WOPN is “California’s best Pinot Noir event.”

This year Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, moderates the Minerality Seminar, and Alcohol & Balance Redux Seminar at the event. Since the release of The Wine Bible in 2001 MacNeil has become a preeminent wine educator in the States. She is the creator and Chairman for the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the Culinary Institute of America in the Napa Valley. This center has been called the “Harvard of wine education.” With extensive wine knowledge, and a uniquely creative viewpoint, she knows how to captivate audiences large and small, and how to present wine in an engaging manner. MacNeil is considered one of the foremost wine experts in the world.

“Wine, it seems to me, is compelling not solely because it tastes good (though it surely does that) but because it appeals to the mind,” states MacNeil. “Wine is the only beverage in the world that draws us in intellectually, causes us to think about it, to ponder it, to question why it tastes the way it does.”

The Minerality Seminar, and Alcohol & Balance Redux Seminar take place on Friday, March 1st in the Cliffs Resort Ballroom.

The Thirteenth World of Pinot Noir, taking place March 1st and 2nd, 2013 includes two unique Tastings with more than 160 winery participants at the Cliffs Resort, and Dolphin Bay Resort in Shell Beach, Ca. The Friday Focus tasting features barrel selections, small lot, and boutique wines bottled at 500 cases or less from 80 winery participants. The Saturday Grand Tasting expands to include 120 winery participants, and now includes a tent on the Dolphin Bay Resort property. WOPN features a stellar lineup of seminars, panelists, winemaker dinners, and tasting sessions showcasing Pinot Noir. More than 1,700 guests attend the event that is held annually during the first weekend in March.

Tickets are available at www.wopn.com or by calling # 805-489-1758.

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