Daylong event brings together 20 of California’s most celebrated Pinot Noir producers for candid panel conversations, deep tastings, and rare access
August 20, 2026 (Santa Rosa, CA) — Winemakers Adam Lee and Morét Brealynn today announced The Pinot Noir Salon, an inaugural daylong gathering that puts 20 of California’s most celebrated Pinot Noir producers and growers in one room that will include candid conversation, a deep dive into tasting, and the kind of rare access serious Pinot geeks rarely get. The event will take place Saturday, April 10, 2027, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Vinarosa Resort in Santa Rosa, in the heart of Sonoma County.
Built in the tradition of the great historical salons, gatherings where the finest minds of an era came together to argue, taste, and discuss current trends, The Pinot Noir Salon offers trade professionals and Pinot Noir wine enthusiasts a level of access to winemaking philosophy and technique not available anywhere else. The daylong program includes four moderated panel discussions, open pouring with all 20 producers, and a seated Salon Luncheon featuring wines from hosts Adam Lee and Morét Brealynn.
“The great salons of history were never just parties – they were the crucibles of ideas, where the finest minds of an era gathered to argue, taste, and discuss,” says The Pinot Noir Salon Founders, Adam Lee and Moret Brealynn. “We built The Pinot Noir Salon in that tradition: an intimate daylong gathering where California’s most celebrated winemakers speak candidly about their craft, and where the best wine conversations happen when people get curious. This event is for Pinot enthusiasts and experts alike, plus everyone in between, who want to go beyond the label. We hope to geek out over vineyards, compare styles, dive into the details, and discover why California Pinot Noir is one of the most fascinating expressions of place. Bring questions, bring curiosity, and come ready to nerd out. Think of it as a master class in California Pinot Noir.”
FOUR PANEL CONVERSATIONS:
Each panel is moderated by hosts Adam Lee and Morét Brealynn and features producers whose wines define the category:
1. From the Ground Up
- Rootstock, clones, yields, and the farming decisions that define a wine, with Mark Pisoni, Charlie Chenoweth, Tom Rochioli, Anne Moller-Racke, and Brian Talley.
2. To Stem or Not to Stem
- The art and debate of whole-cluster fermentation in California Pinot Noir, with Greg Brewer, Jeff Brinkman, Julien Howsepian, Sashi Moorman, and Bibiana González Rave.
3. California’s Next Generation
- The next generation of Pinot Noir producers making their mark, with Camille Allen & Matt Casalenuovo, Tyler & Rachel Eck, Derek Flegel, Dan Kosta, and Jennie Murphy.
4. Building Pinot Noir
- How the fingerprints of the winemaker appear on a transparent grape, with Jeff Mangahas, Matt Courtney, Jenna Davis, Scott Shapley, and Paul Lato.
Additionally, guests can extend the celebration with an optional prior to the Saturday event by joining a Welcome Party on Friday, April 9, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Grand Cru Cellars in Windsor, featuring wines from more than 10 wineries and heavy passed appetizers.
TICKET DETAILS:
- Full Day Passes are available for $550 per person through the early-bird deadline of November 1, 2026, increasing to $650 thereafter. Tickets include access to all four panel discussions, the Salon Luncheon, and tastings from all 20 producers.
- Welcome Party tickets are $100 and sold separately.
- All Pinot Noir Salon attendees must be 21 years of age or older; valid government-issued ID is required for entry.
- TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE.
For more information, please visit www.pinotnoirsalon.com or by following @thepinotnoirsalon on Instagram.
About the Pinot Noir Salon
The Pinot Noir Salon is an inaugural, invitation-caliber daylong gathering hosted by winemakers Adam Lee and Morét Brealynn, bringing together 20 of California’s most celebrated Pinot Noir producers in its inaugural year including Brewer-Clifton, Rhys Vineyards, Kosta Browne, Williams Selyem, DuMOL, Pisoni Vineyards, J. Rochioli Vineyards, and more. The Pinot Noir Salon is moderated by Adam Lee, who founded Siduri Wines in 1994 and built it into one of California’s most acclaimed Pinot Noir labels before selling to Jackson Family Wines in 2015, and who now helms Clarice Wine Company, and by winemaker Morét Brealynn, whose eponymous label has earned her recognition as one of Food & Wine’s “Five New Names to Know Now”. For more information, please visit www.thepinotsalon.com.
