Get out your 2005 calendars and check these dates. It is one of the greatest events I have ever been to. It usually sells out so if you would like to go you should sign up now. I went last year (as did TravelRep). Tricia and I are all signed up for this year.

Friday and Saturday, March 4 - 5, 2005

Shell Beach, Calif (near San Louis Obispo and Paso Robles)

Worldof Pinot Noir.

We're trying to work this one into our schedule.

If you ever wanted to overdose on pinot noir and have a great time doing so, this is the place you want to be. Unfortunately, Mrs. T-Rep and I won't be on the left coast in March as we were last year, but this event shouldn't be missed.

T-Rep

David - which "Schedule of Events" are you doing?

We're not doing the entire event this year. Our first event will be the dinner on Friday night. This dinner is just like an offline with 400 people and 1000 different wines (99% Pinot Noir). We went table hopping and... I can't believe we drank the whole thing!

I forget what we signed up for on Saturday morning but the afternoon tasting is really the "main event" not to mention a huge picnic at Au Bon Climat Saturday night.

OK, Saturday morning.

We could have when we registered (now sold out) but I did not sign up for the Saturday Featured Tasting: The Wines of Domaine Comte G. de Vogue (Sold Out)
(Besides all this will be is a bunch of Frog juice.)

March 5, 2005 (10:00am - 1:30pm)
Cost: $285.00

Few estates in Burgundy have origins that date back as far as Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue, located in the heart of Chambolle-Musigny. The 31 acre Domaine (mostly Grands Crus), one of the oldest in Burgundy, has remained in the hands of the same family, through inheritance and marriage, to the present day. At this WOPN 2005 Featured Tasting, Jean Luc Pepin of Comte de Vogüé, and 'Burghound' Allen Meadows will present the following wines from the 1997, 1999 and 2001 vintages: Grand Cru Musigny Vieilles Vignes, Grand Cru Bonnes-Mares, and 1er Cru Les Amoureuses. A spectacular lunch to follow the tasting seminar, prepared by Jeff and Janet Olsson, with wines from Comte de Vogue. To be held at The Cliffs Resort.
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We did sign up for the Saturday Pinot Noir Retrospective Tasting Top

March 5, 2005 (9:30am - 1:30pm)
Cost: $125.00

Join producers from California and Oregon for this retrospective of Pinot Noir as presented by the winemakers. A rare opportunity to taste some notable and noteworthy gems from the winery libraries. Lunch to follow, prepared by Chef Evan Treadwell at Sycamore Mineral Springs. Transportation provided from The Cliffs Resort.

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David:
It's absolutely a great event. I've gone every year so far and it's the best collection of Pinot producers and consumers there is. I think it's selling out fast, so people need to act now. BTW, I'll be leading the Russian River tasting (Seminar Group "A" on Friday). Should be a lot of fun.

Palate evolution......

There is so much to drink and appreciate, and so much depth to the experience. My tastes have definitely evolved over time, but also take quick periodic turns!!! That is part of the fun.

Did I say fun?? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$44 ouch


DBW

Cathy and I will be there!
We will be guests of Barry Rossum of Arcadian fame.
Looking forward to a great time with great pinot!!

Dain

Dain,

Are you going to bring some samples for us to try? It has been almost a year since I tasted your stuff. It was good then; should be great now!

(This is not the right place to put this next note but if people are interested they should be able to read it)

The Loring/Pisoni Bash probably will not be until July or August this year and I can't wait that long before tasting some of your juice again.

A little report after this last weekend at WOPN... An absolutely fabulous two days!

Friday morning we drove down so we missed the morning seminars. We got there about 4:00pm and walked down to say hello and got whirled up into the Friday afternoon tasting (which we had not signed up (paid) for with the blessing of the wpic. That is to say that even the organizers are commited pinotphiles to the extent that they never let money stand in the way of sharing their passion.

The Friday night dinner was about 300 people with several top chefs preparing dinner; tables for ten with each table "hosted" by a winemaker/proprietor. Everyone brings their own bottle/s also so it pretty much turns into one of those "wander the room with your bottle looking for something/someone you want to trade a taste with" parties. There are really many fine wines (tons on CA stuff plus really a lot of Burgundy too). And a fantastic opportunity to meet people. This year we had made a date with Gary and Rosella Franscioni and the four of us hung out together pretty much the whole time except for the Saturday afternoon tasting when they worked their tasting table. They did not sponsor a table at the Friday night dinner but we had requested to be seated together and we had a great time. Our official host Friday night was Bouchaine Vineyards from Carneros so we got to try some stuff we hadn't had before. Of course we had our share of Roar, Pisoni and Lucia not to mention the Hollerin'M, Halleck and Clos Pepe that I brought... or some great wines at the next table over... or the next over from that.......... We did not go thirsty!


Believe it or not... the Friday night dinner was the low-light of the event. On a scale of 50 to 100 it was only a 97 (and that was because of the food-afterall dinner for 300 is a task). The afternoon tastings and the Saturday night "Paulee" dinner are all 99 point events. The only reason I don't give the whole event 100 points or more is the number of people. It certainly is not all that overcrowded but it sure would be nice if it was me and my closest 50 friends rather than the 500 or so people that are there. Gee, I had to wait 45 seconds in line for my pour of the Kosta-Browne 4-Barrel... poor me!

Both of the afternoon tastings are held in two tents on the back lawn of the The Cliffs Hotel in Shell Beach (just north of Pismo Beach) overlooking the beautiful Pacific ocean. The weather was absolutely beautiful (really amazing after forcasts or record rains that weekend; next year I assume they will pay me to be there and carry my umbrella the whole time which is I'm sure the only reason the weather was as glorious as it was). IMO the event could not be held in a more pacific place.

The Saturday "Paulee" dinner is a real blast. The event is limited to 300 lucky people who have sign up early. We were bused some 45 minutes down the road to the Au Bon Climat winery in Bien Nacido where Jim Clendenon and his gang host a great dinner. The Paulee style has several venues/stations all with "famous" chefs preparing delicious dishes that you can carry back to your table and share. I enjoyed this event the best of the weekend. The food was out of this world and wandering about looking for the perfect wine to pair with each dish is really fun. The Paulee wines...or the stuff from other tables we latched on to like various Merry Edwards, Sanford, Arcadian, Bonaccorsi, Comte Georges de Vogue, Vougeraie, Michel Gros, Fiddlehead, Flowers, Etude, Flying Goat, Foley, Freeman, Hitching Post, Inman Family, Maison Louis Latour (someone said thay had a 1797 but I didn't see it), Papietro Perry... man, the list goes on and on. I'll try to put together a better list and post it later. The end of the evening does turn in to a small free-for-all. Jim Clendenon holds court and one has to become fairly agressive to get a pour when he opens some of his large format bottles of... well... the two I "killed" for this year was a glass out of a 16L bottle of Paul Roger Champagne and my "wine o' the weekend' a 6L bottle of 2000 DRC St. Vivant.

Another great thing about the WOPN is that very little if not NOTHING is scheduled on Sunday. This year there was a screening of "Sideways" at a local theatre with an open bar of Pinots featured in the film and the author of the book selling and signing... at 9:30am. We had decided to party-on at the Paulee Saturday night at the expense of not going to the movie that Sunday morning. My eyes didn't see the Sunday morning sun until a little after 11am and no-Sideways or not I was very happy.
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Dain,

I understand that you went to Barry Rossum party Saturday night. I'd love to hear a little about that bash.
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If you are a PinotPhile I do not know why this wouldn't be the "event of the year" here in the US. I have no connection with the people who run this event. All I can say is that it is amongst the top five wine dealies I go to every year. Like I like to say, "Don't miss it if you can!".

Sounds like loads of fun, I'll have to try to make it next year. It was great that the weather turned so beautiful just in time for the event.

-Al

Davidn - thanks for the notes. It sounds like it was a blast.

David! As always...so great to see both you and Tricia at the event! Thank you for the introduction to the "wine gals" of San Jose! What a pair!

Next trip down...you need to come to the winery and do a couple hundred barrel samples!

Thanks for the great write-up...was really great gettting together with everyone.

So many wines/winemakers ...so little time . I got a few minutes to step away from pouring...here were my clear favorites:

All the Kosta Browne 2003 wines - Kanzler, Koplen out in front!

ROAR - 2003 Garys' Vineyard

Longoria

Arcadian - Francesca’s Cuvee

Vision

I wish I had more time to try so many others.
Had a sip of Bonaccorsi Fiddlestix - nose was not attractive...but tasted lush and deep!

Andrew

Andrew,

I wasn't all that excited with the Vision. I think it was the '03 Rosella's that I tasted. I found it pretty "thin" unlike what I am used to getting from Mac. Was it just my pallet at that moment? Has anybody else had this wine?

I was also disappointed with the '03 Clos Pepe Estate.

Some other notable '03 WOW wines were the August West, Roar, and Freeman.

Man Oh Man... a double-WOW on that '04 Loring Clos Pepe!

David

Hmmm...Vision...I can't even remember if I tried the Rosella's...I do remember at a recent tasting about a month ago the 2003 Vision Rosella's was a huge favorite.

I didn't take any notes so I can't even reference anything...should have had that recorder around my neck!

What did you think of Brian's '06 Clos!

Andrew

Quote:

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What did you think of Brian's '06 Clos!

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You mean that Viognier/Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc Rose' blend in the YooHoo bottle?
LOVED IT!