published in the Montecito Journal on 3/4/21
Each year, pinot noir lovers have the first weekend in March highlighted on their calendars. It is, after all, a weekend usually dedicated to the World of Pinot Noir, the annual gathering of winemakers and wine consumers feting Burgundy’s most famous red grape. The event launched in 2001 and, since 2014, has been held at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta, drawing more than 3000 thirsty oenophiles from all over the world.
This year, of course, Covid-19 had different plans for WOPN (pronounced Whoppin’ by those in the know): no mingling with winemakers, no hands-on tastings, no sit-down dinners. Creativity prevails, though, And technology delivers.
This year, World of Pinot Noir is claiming the entire month of March, and it’s going entirely virtual. “Attendees often say they’d love even more content and more opportunities for intimate experiences with winemakers,” says Laura Booras, CEO of Riverbench Vineyards in Santa Maria and president of the WOPN Board of Directors. “This year, we actually have an opportunity to grow these opportunities.”
As WOPN goes from in-person to online, consumers will have several chances every week this month to get up close and personal with pinot noir – and all via live events broadcast across Zoom, Instagram and Facebook. Wednesdays, for example, are dedicated to the WOPN Wine Case Experience, where guests buy a case of rare, handpicked pinots and then join a 30-minute Zoom chat each week at 5pm for a guided tasting and discussion. The 12-bottle compilation ($600, with a retail value of $800) features tough-to-get-your-hands-on finds from regions all over the globe; some of the California standouts include Brewer-Clifton’s 2016 Machado Vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, a 93-point winner from Wine Spectator, and Eden Rift’s 2018 Landsdale Cienega Valley Pinot Noir, christened with 94 points by Robert Parker. The series is hosted by Master Sommelier David Glancy, founder of the San Francisco Wine School.
Thursdays feature deep-dive tasting seminars that highlight the growing zones behind some of California’s best pinot noir wines, including famed Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and vineyards of the Santa Lucia Highlands near Monterey. The March 18th seminar spotlights Sonoma’s diverse sub-regions, like the Russian River Valley and the Petaluma Gap, through a winemaker panel and a tasting of wines that guests pre-order for home delivery, including Banshee, La Crema and EnRoute. Seminars range in price from $150 to $295, depending on the wine brands featured.
Free events include discussions and winemaker Happy Hours every Wednesday at noon via Facebook Live and every Friday at 5pm via Instagram Live. There’s an online charity auction, too, which gives consumers access to a remarkable selection of hard-to-access bottles; lots include bottles of prized pinots, including magnums, from labels like Paul Lato, Calera, Goldeneye, Kosta Browne and Ampelos. According to the WOPN website, part of the auction proceeds “will be donated to non-profit institutions and/or scholarships that help further educate and enlighten the world about the storied pinot noir grape.”
WOPN is an international affair to be sure, tapping into the unique allure of pinot noir, with its dependably eclectic aromatics, its complex flavor profile and awesome ability to match most any meal. It makes sense, though, that it would be hosted by Santa Barbara. The grape, native to Burgundy and with cultivation dating back to the 4th century, is grown all over, most prominently in California, France and Germany. But Santa Barbara County enjoys a distinctive ability to produce pinots that stand out: the east-west traverse of the Santa Ynez Mountains, which funnel marine air and create enviably pronounced diurnal shifts in temperature, and special soils – all buoyed by a talented pool of winemakers drawn by the area’s potential and promise. May the stars align so that WOPN returns as an in-person experience in 2022.
Cheers!
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