03 Mar Please The Palate Pick of the Week: World of Pinot Noir

The Please The Palate pick of the week is easy this week! It is the World of Pinot Noir, an annual weekend wine event that takes place in Santa Barbara that celebrates all things Pinot Noir. So, if you like Pinot Noir, like me, you will understand my pick! 2018 marks the 18th year of World of Pinot Noir (WOPN). This was my fourth year in a row to attend, yet it was my fifth festival since it was the one of very first weekend wine events I ever attended in 2004. There were Pinot Noirs from across the globe – Burgundy, New Zealand, Hungary, Chile, Oregon, Sonoma, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Medocino, Lake County, Petaluma Gap, Monterrey, Washington, Napa and more! The weekend is made up of seminars, lunches, dinners and a grand tasting lasting over two days that take place at the luxurious Bacara Resort in Goleta. There were almost 250 wineries participating, more than 35,000 bottles of wine on site, 20 trained sommeliers working the events and between 750-1000 attendees each day at the grand tasting.There was also a silent auction at both grand tastings and the money raised is being donated to disaster relief. WOPN 2018 was the biggest year of the event so far and it was great to see so many wine friends! I am already looking forward to next year’s event!