When I told friends and family about my summer “vacation” plans to attend a wine conference, reactions were mixed. Some chuckled and expressed mock sympathy, and perhaps a hint of envy, as in, “too bad you have to taste wine for three days.” Others registered skepticism and concern.
Actually, I signed up for the 13th Wine Media Conference a month before the pandemic shut doors and put everything on hold. I knew I’d be moving across the country from Pennsylvania to Washington, so why not go to an August 2020 wine conference in Eugene, Oregon? I’d be only a few hours away.
Little did we know…
Naturally, Zephyr Conferences, the event organizers, had to cancel its 2020 in-person conferences. Now it was 2021 and a somewhat scaled-down conference was back on, with attendees required to show proof of Covid vaccination.
For a wine conference newbie like me, this was it! I had no prior experiences for comparison. Yes, I’d read online about past conferences and those posts certainly raised my expectations. Yes, there were some hiccups, but honestly, in a year like this one, I was simply grateful to be here. Here’s why:
People
Winery excursions are a highlight of the Wine Media Conference. Despite Covid, labor shortages, wildfires and heat waves, a number of gracious winery owners managed to host conference attendees for wine tastings, vineyard tours, snacks and meals.
On a pre-conference visit to the Ribbon Ridge AVA (American Viticultural Area) in the northern Willamette Valley, our group visited five small, independently owned family wineries whose owners and winemakers burst with passion and pride when describing their wines. First up was a visit to Ribbon Ridge Winery for an introduction to this subregion by Harry Peterson-Nedry (top photo), one of Oregon’s early winemaking pioneers.
It was easy to be attentive early on, but by the end of a long, warm day jumping on and off the conference mini-bus to sample wine (cue the tiny violins), our group looked a bit droopy. No problem. Steve and Kelley Styring were ready to lift our spirits with… wait for it… more wine! Three different Rieslings, each paired with dessert.
Established in 2003 on a 40-acre parcel of unfarmed land, Styring Winery specializes in small lots of hand-crafted Pinot Noir, Riesling and other varietals.
While we tasted the three Rieslings – a sparkling 2017 Rixi Estate Vintage Brut, dry 2016 Whimsy Riesling and sweet 2015 Afterglow Riesling dessert wine – Steve charmed the group with tales of his family’s Viking heritage (documented to the year 700 AD!) and the whimsical names for his vineyard blocks: “Mama’s Ass,” “Leonard’s” and the understated “Third.”
Finally, the couple packed us off with a bottle of their 2016 Signature Pinot Noir, a wine we didn’t have time to taste on this visit. Such hospitality!
Places
Why do we visit wineries? The wines, of course, but also the stunning views of vineyards, mountains and forests, and a chance to learn firsthand about what makes a place special.
At Trisaetum, owner and winemaker James Frey explained his holistic approach to farming: no irrigation, no till, no synthetic fertilizers, minimal leaf pulling, minimal hedging, compost tea sprays and hand-harvesting only. “Just a little mowing and weed-whacking,” James said. “Great vineyards are a little bit messy.”
To demonstrate how Ribbon Ridge wines are distinct from others, James prepared a side-by-side comparison: four wines from grapes grown in the sandy, marine-sediment soil of his Ribbon Ridge vineyard and four wines, made exactly the same way, from grapes grown at higher elevation in the volcanic soil of the Coast Range, 10 miles closer to the ocean in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA.
Results? His Ribbon Ridge wines were richer and spicier than his Coast Range wines. How about that for first-hand experience!
One of the most beautiful sites in the Ribbon Ridge AVA has to be Eminent Domaine. Jeff and Heather Meader completed the planting of their 5.5-acre estate vineyard in 2009. Situated at an elevation of approximately 640 feet, the “table-top” vineyard now surrounds the tasting room. They focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Insights
What’s a conference without sessions?
Cyril Penn, editor in chief of Wine Business Monthly, gave the keynote. From Cyril, I was reminded to avoid hyperbole, specifically these five words/phrases (got it, Cyril – they are banned from future posts):
- Iconic
- Revolutionary
- Critically acclaimed
- Legendary
- Gifted
From Austin Beaman, vice president of marketing for Cutting Edge Selections, I took away these five ways to help small, independent wineries in challenging times:
- Post, post, post – small, independent wineries need bloggers. 2020 was traumatic!
- Anything wineries can do to grow their direct-to-consumer sales will help them stay in business.
- Provide links to where you can buy wines. (Done!)
- Give seven or more true answers to a question.
- To get name recognition, create a digital swarm. Be everywhere with content.
From Bretty Rawson, digital programs manager at the Washington State Wine Commission, I picked up these tips:
- Share something off the beaten track.
- Shine lights on people.
- Make content timeless.
- Always have room for someone else in the story.
- Do the unexpected.
Wine
No matter how educational and inspiring, a wine conference does offer a lot of wine to taste. Here are some noteworthy examples (wines were provided, but as always, opinions are my own):
- 2017 Brooks Rastaban Pinot Noir, Eola-Amity Hills – Fruit-forward, intense and smooth with mouth-coating tannins. “Rastaban” is the eye of the dragon in the constellation Draco. Price: $65.
- 2019 Benton-Lane First Class Chardonnay, Willamette Valley – Aged in 30% new, 70% neutral oak. Creamy mouthfeel balanced by acidity. Heard many times how the Willamette Valley is an up-and-coming region for Chardonnay. 2018 Price: $40.
- 2016 Las Positas Estate Barbera, Livermore Valley – Cherry and spice on the nose. Dark fruit on the palate and that classic Barbera high acidity. Food friendly! Livermore Valley was a conference sponsor. Price: $38.
- 2018 Knotty Vines Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County – A medium-bodied, lush Cab Sauv with a screw cap from conference sponsor Rodney Strong. Accessible at just $15.
Thanks for sharing your memorable experience! Those Rawson tips are super. On Beeman and including links for where to find the wine(s), I find that can be challenging to nail down, especially with smaller non-US producers. How about you?
Definitely! I’m planning to add a link to wine.com or another online retailer if I can’t find a producer’s site. As bloggers, we do what we can, right?