Wine world focus on Sparkling Wine Symposium

A “who’s who” of the international sparkling wine world will gather at Denbies Wine Estate in the UK on Tuesday 1st and Wednesday 2nd November 2011 for the second International Sparkling Wine Symposium. The two-day event will focus first on innovation in production and conclude with the commercial aspects of sparkling wine. The international forum will bring together oenologists, producers, marketers, buyers and journalists from across the globe to share sparkling winemaking and marketing experience and to promote best practice.

Technical sessions on 1st November include presentations and tastings from internationally renowned experts including Bruno Colomer and Arthur O’Connor from Codorniu, Ed Carr from Accolade Wines, Pieter Ferreira from Graham Beck, Jaume Gramona from Gramona Cava, Dr Bertrand Robillard from Institut Oenologique de Champagne, and Mario Geisse from Caves Geisse and Casa Silva.  The day will finish with a Grand Tasting in the early evening of different sparkling wines from around the world.

Day two begins with a review and forecast of global markets followed by a focus on emerging newer markets by Pierre-Aymeric du Cray, global sales director at G.H. Mumm & Perrier-Jouët. A pre-lunch session will focus on how to raise awareness and the reputation of your wines using PR and social media, with some marketing case studies to illustrate best practice. The afternoon will comprise a debate on the future of English sparkling wine, followed by presentations of two research projects: into lighter bottles; and finally consumer perceptions of sparkling wine.

Delegate tickets cost £325 + VAT for the two day event, including lunch and refreshments each day and are available via www.sparklingwinesymposium.com. Further details of the program and instructions for submitting wines for the Grand Tasting are also available on the event website.

Dr Jamie Goode, one of the event organisers, states: “Over 130 delegates attended the first International Sparkling Wine Symposium in 2009 which was a huge success. We’ve taken on board all the feedback and suggestions and extended the program over two days to allow more detailed focus on different aspects of sparkling wine. The Grand Tasting will also be bigger and more of a focus this year as this was clearly a highlight in 2009: very few attendees had ever tasted so many different styles alongside each other before.”

The event is being organised by the team behind the inaugural International Sparkling Wine Symposium and the Sparkling Wine Review: Litmus Wines, wineanorak.com and Proven Communication. Jamie Goode comments: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to our sponsors Codorniu, Denbies Wine Estate, Diam, Schott Zwiesel and the Institut Oenologique de Champagne. Without their encouragement and support we would not be able to put this event together.”

Anyone interested in exploring opportunities for involvement should contact Proven Communication on +44 117 924 9303 or isws@provencommunication.co.uk

1 July 2011 - Felicity Murray