So, I’ve been writing about wine, wineries, winemakers, and wine events for over ten years. A great gig to be sure. But in the past few years I’ve sensed a slowdown overall. A recent Forbes article confirmed my suspicions.
On Nov. 13, 2025, Forbes published an article entitled, “Why America’s Vineyards Are in Crisis — And How Growers Are Responding.”
U.S. wine sales have declined by 9% since the end of 2024, according to Forbes. Forbes reported that in 2025 at least 20% of hanging fruit in California vineyards was not harvested. The poor harvest for 2025 signals that things have gotten worse. And that has translated into a slump.
Unfortunately, my personal experience last year at World of Pinot Noir bore out the Forbes story. Attendance was down significantly. That is, attendance for both wine drinkers and wineries themselves. Now, rather than the multi-day event at the chic Santa Barbara Bacara, WOPN will be single-day pop-up tastings at locations such as Wally’s in Westwood.
But WOPN also demonstrated that while things are rough, the quality wineries still make great wine. Here are some that you should be buying.
When thinking of pinot noir, it’s important to remember that it comes in both still and sparkling versions. There were a couple of sparkling that were outstanding.
Winemaker Nicole Bertotti Pope and viticulturist Lucas Pope (wife and husband) own Haliotide, a winery devoted to crafting sparkling wine “defined by extreme proximity to the Pacific Ocean.” They poured both the 2020 and 2021 Extra Brut Rosé, as well as the 2019 Blanc de Blanc. The rosés were amazing! They featured an aroma of overwhelming delight of bread and berry. They were super crisp and yeasty and go down beautifully. The Blanc de Blanc was equally delicious.
While not from pinot noir grapes, the Laurent Perrier Brut NV was outstanding. Yeasty and crisp, with a smooth, long finish.
Now for the still wines. Hailing from Oregon comes NYSA Winery, owned by the delightful couple of Michael and Susan Mega. They poured their 2007 (yes, 2007) Leda’s Reserve Pinot. It felt like it was brand new, not almost 20 years old. Excellent structure with tastes of raspberries and strawberries and nutmeg. The 2007 hopefully foreshadows what the 2018 will become. Despite the strong tannins, the 2018 was fruit-forward with a long finish and excellent berry notes.
Next up was one of my favorite wineries, Roar. Gary Franscioni and Gary Pisoni pioneered the cultivation of domestic Pinot Noir in the Santa Lucia Highlands more than 30 years ago. Together they founded Garys’ Vineyard, the site of some of the most highly acclaimed pinots California has ever produced. Gary Franscioni’s son, Nick, was pouring the 2011 Garys’ Vineyard from a 3-liter (also known as either a double magnum or a jeroboam). An enticing aroma of forest floor and dried fruit, this was a standout at the tasting. With notes of meat, leather and smoke along with the typical berry flavors, the Franscioni family clearly knows how to craft and age world-class wine.
Born in Napa and educated at UC Davis, Kirk Venge owns Sonoma’s Croix Estate. Croix offered two wines, the 2022 Kings Ridge Pinot Noir and the 2022 Stoetz Ridge Pinot Noir. Both were excellent. The Kings Ridge was scrumptious with heavy strawberry flavor that was elegantly balanced. The Stoetz Ridge displayed a dark cherry color and a nose of smoke, black cherry, nutmeg and vanilla. A long finish with great balance of acid and tannins, the wine has tastes of berry, honey and vanilla. Overall, a winner.
So, while I bemoan the passing of the prior version of WOPN, I hope it can be resurrected as it provided so many opportunities to discover and learn more about what pinot noir can offer.
Carl Kanowsky is an attorney, a fledgling baker, an enthusiastic cook and an expert wine drinker. He is certified by the Wine & Spirit Education Trust at Level II with distinction.
