World of Pinot Noir - Grand Tasting 2020

World of Pinot Noir Grand Tasting 2020 was the 20th anniversary year of World of Pinot Noir. The event was held at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara.

The Grand Tasting has hundreds of producers showcasing their Pinot Noir from around the world.

The Grand Tasting takes place over two days and you need a ticket for both days to enter - there are also weekend passes available. The Grand Tasting takes place from 3pm - 5pm and is late out in the ballroom of the hotel. The VIP ticket allows you to enter the ballroom an hour before General Admission. It is definitely worth it to be able to try more of the amazing Pinot Noirs that are showcased from all over the world. California, Oregon, France, Italy, Canada, Chile, Argentina and more are represented at this tasting.

I of course started with the Santa Rita Hills to have some of my local favorites including Melville and I also discovered some amazing wines from Dragonette. Another fun discovery was Presqu’ile Winery located in Santa Maria. They make sparkling wines in the traditional method. I then continued on and tried some Pinot Noir from the Santa Cruz Mountains. There are a lot of wines to be discovered in this area and some quality small producers who are making some incredible Pinot Noirs.

I also enjoyed amazing Pinot Noirs from Tolosa, Auteur, and Maggy Hawk. The wines at Maggy Hawk were incredible and my favorite was called Unforgettable which is a fresh and powerful Pinot that is aged in 43% New French Oak. This had a long finish with black fruit flavors. It was definitely one of my favorites from the day.

World of Pinot Noir is a yearly event that takes place at the beginning of March. This was my second year attending and I definitely plan to attend next year. It is one of the best wine festivals that I have been to and I highly recommend it for all Pinot Noir lovers.