A Planet of Pinot Noir Descends on Santa Barbara

Talk about a pinot party! One of my favorite wine festivals — the World of Pinot Noir or WOPN as it is affectionately known — is back at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara from February 29 – March 2, and its once again shaping up to be quite a weekend. As our resident wine expert Matt Kettmann (who will be leading leading the WOPN lunch on exploring the Santa Cruz Mountains Wine Region on March 1) wrote recently, “Though the intention of wine festivals have shifted from religious to more commercial over the millennia — a certain bacchanalian vibe thankfully persists — they remain the best place for wine lovers of all types to expand their palates and connect directly to the wine country culture.”

Based on my personal experience — including a short but very fun tenure as the editor of a wine and travel magazine that didn’t survive the COVID closures — I couldn’t agree more! I touched base with WOPN executive director Stacie Jacob to get the scoop on what’s planned for this year’s festivities. 

It looks like you’ve got almost 200 wineries pouring at WOPN, do you have stats on where they’re all from? 

Yes, we have more than 200 brands participating. Wineries are from Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Napa, Monterey, Mendocino, Oregon and International rejoins as well  — Australia, France and more. Check out the full list at worldofpinotnoir.com/wineries. You can filter by region and/or by day so you can begin to make your plans on which brands to visit. 

Are there new wineries coming this year? Are you seeing any regional trends in terms of participants? 

We always have a strong contingent of wineries from Santa Barbara and Sonoma. These are two key pinot growing regions in California. Regional trends for 2024 include Santa Cruz (that’s the one featuring Kettmann mentioned above) in fact these 11 producers are one of our featured lunch experiences happening on Friday, March 1. We also have a strong contingency from the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Celebrating 40 years as an AVA, the Willamette Valley is one of our featured dinners on Saturday, March 2.

New brands in 2024 are Champagne Laurent – Perrier, Convene, Amelia, Haliotide, Sandhi Wines, and Seppi Craft Sparkling, all of which are all special selections at WOPN 2024. 

Other than the grand tasting events — held on March 1 and March 2 — what are some of the events people should know about (preferably ones that aren’t sold out)? 

Seminars: I’m personally excited about the Grand Cru of California. While the New World prides itself on bucking Old World ways as it relates to the First Growth rating If California had an official First Growth / Grand Cru, these vineyards would all be contenders. Hear from experts of these 10 regions and taste an amazing line-up of wines.

Global Wine Conversations: A World of Pinot Noir: This seminar will take your palette on a journey around the world. A single blind tasting led by Julia Coney and Evan Goldstein Master Sommelier will challenge, inspire and even surprise you about the global nature of pinot noir. 

Dinners: Join Goldeneye winemaker Kristen McMahan on a five-course dinner and  journey through the brand’s wines and learn about its history and commitment to sustainability.

Lunches: Two key anniversaries commemorate the Saturday lunch experience. Tolosa celebrates 25 years and digs into the cellar for this incredible lunch line up. And  Domaine Della’s 10 year anniversary is a true story of the next generation. Join David Hejl and family for this special lunch on the Bluff at Angel Oak overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Any tips for first time guests? What are some of the must-do components of WOPN? 

If you are joining for the first time we encourage you to consider an itinerary that includes a morning seminar, a lunch and the Grand Tasting. This gives you a flavor for the essence of the event from education to food and wine pairing to the festive discovery aspect of WOPN. The Grand Tasting is vast and the time goes fast, so plan ahead and figure out who you want to taste for the first time and who are fan favorites? 

Spit. Yes, it’s okay to spit, dump and taste,  you will not offend anyone. You’ll find spit cups at all events. And pace yourself and have fun —  discover, explore and chart your own WOPN journey. 

For more information, see worldofpinotnoir.com.