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 DETAILED CONFERENCE PROGRAM 8:00-9:00am 9:15-10:15am This isolated mountainous region located in eastern France produces a wide variety of wines--white, jaune, rosé, red, sparkling and sweet-- incorporating some unusual grapes such as Savignin, Poulsard and Trousseau. Jura’s distinctiveness is what made the Arbois AOC one of first recognized by the INAO. Find out what makes the wines of this region so unique!
Jean- Louis Carbonnier is the founder of Carbonnier Communications, a marketing and public relations consultancy specializing in terroir and artisan products. Jean-Louis is the United States PR for the Jura and Cahors Wine Organisations. His other clients include Château Palmer, Adams French Vineyards, the Bureau National of Cognac and the Comté Cheese Association. Prior to establishing Carbonnier Communications, Jean-Louis was the US representative and spokesperson of the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne - the Champagne houses and growers' organization - for over ten years. 10:30-11:30am Learn all about this exciting wine region--its viticultural history, its grapes, its “black” wines, its terroir. Long before its success in the New World, indigenous Malbec had established such a reputation in Cahors that this region’s wines were blocked from accessing the global market by the Bordelais. Learn why as you experience the three different wine styles produced there today. Speaker: Jean-Louis Carbonnier (see bio above) 11:30-12:30pm: 12:30-2:00pm Just how DO you explain wine chemistry to the lay-man without going over their heads or putting them to sleep? Learn from a wine educator and doctor in chemistry! We’ll start by reviewing a grape’s chemical make-up then springboard into flavonoids which are key to wine quality, color, astringency and age-ability using nothing more than a chicken-wire visual or the hands and fingers to portray the chemical “octopus”. Learn how to differentiate between oak tannins and grape tannins; learn how barrel toasting impacts the specific flavors that develop as wines age in barrel. Discover the effects of cold-fermentation and how it impacts the wine in question. And learn how to teach what you’ve been taught! Speaker: Dr Frank K. Patterson, Ph D. Patterson is the Founder and Director of Tradewines, Inc., a firm that develops and presents customized wine seminars and/or wine tastings at local companies, clubs, social organizations, etc. using wines from around the world. He has presented seminars for several universities and industrial research groups covering a variety of technical topics dealing with the chemistry of wine. Dr. Patterson has served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the Philadelphia Restaurant School, and is an instructor for the French Wine Society. He has taught a one-semester non-credit "Introduction to Wine" course at DCCC and will be teaching a 3.0 college credit wine course, "The World of Wines" at Wilmington University in the Fall of 2009. 2:00-6:00pm You know the basics, now discover the underpinning logic behind why things are the way they are in the Northern and Southern Rhône. Learn how the Rhône’s geological past and current day topographical features shape the vineyard landscape. Learn the philosophies and practices behind the blends of the Northern and Southern Rhône. How does oak factor into the 21st century Rhône bottlings? Is wine texture and complexity a manifestation of terroir or technique? Does site determine destiny? Rediscover the Rhône. Speaker: Philippe Dupond, Senior French Oenologist, Wine Professor that the University of Wine of Suze La Rousse Philippe was born to a family of Beaujolais producer-négociants who have been involved in winemaking for four generations. He graduated from the renowned University of Montpellier, France with a Diplôme National d’Oenologue (the French official Master Level Diploma in Oenology).He studied the vineyards and wineries of California through international exchange programs and has been a consultant for vineyard implantation in desert areas of Mexico. He is also a consulting winemaker for several domains in the Rhône Valley and Tuscany. Since 2005, he has been a teacher at the famous French Université du Vin of Suze-la-Rousse, France. He teaches Oenology and Sensory Workshops and is an official Inter-Rhône (Rhône Wine Council) lecturer for English-speaking consumers and wine-professionals. Tuesday, October 06th 8:00-10:00am 10:00-11:30am This tasting seminar will tour the Loire from west to east and show the magnificent diversity of the Loire with the insights and insider-perspective Robert Kacher has been privy to in over two decades of close work with growers and producers. Hear about the changes that have transpired over the past twenty years as we look at the Loire: then and now. Speaker: Robert Kacher, Importer Robert “Bobby” Kacher received his wine education travelling the roads of France where he discovered a lifestyle of wine, food, family and the vineyards which captivated him. Impatient to pursue his newfound passion, Bobby returned to the States, settled in Washington, DC and got started working in a retail wine store. Twenty-four years ago, he founded Robert Kacher Selections. His goal with the new company was to associate himself with the growers and producers who had both the passion and energy to strive to become among their country’s most renowned winemakers. During the first two decades of Robert Kacher Selections, Bobby spent almost half of each year in France, criss-crossing from region to region in an effort to work with the growers and winemakers in all aspects of viticulture and vinification, constantly pushing them to produce an even higher quality product. Bobby’s dedication and passion for the wine business has resulted in numerous awards and accolades: Recently Robert Parker named him “one of the 20 most influential wine personalities of the past 20 years.” In 2004 Bobby became Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, one of only a handful of U.S. importers to ever receive the prestigious honor. 11:30-12:30pm: 12:30-2:30pm Speaker: Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan, MW Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan is the fourth woman in the US to obtain the title of Master of Wine (MW), the most rigorous and difficult title to achieve in wine in the world. She was honored with the international Wiesbaden Tasting Trophy by The Institute of Masters of Wine in June 2008 for her palate. She is also one of the few to have achieved both the highest credentials of the internationally renowned Society of Wine Educators (CWE) and Wine & Spirits Education Trust (DWS) and is a contributing editor to the 2007 Professional Wine Reference. Jennifer works for Remy Cointreau USA and has traveled across the country training thousands within the trade on wine, champagne and spirits. For her expertise, Jennifer has been featured on Fox, Fox News, Fox Business, NBC, CBS, Les Kinkaid Radio, Martha Stewart Radio, Plum TV, Wine Enthusiast, Gotham Magazine and The New York Times. She has also hosted seminars for culinary schools such as the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and with famous Food Network Stars such as Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence and Jacques Pépin. 2:45-6:00pm Provence is the only quality wine region in France, and indeed, the world, to focus primarily on production of rosé. The region applies over two millennia of experience to craft gorgeous, aromatic rosés in a dizzying array of shades from pale peach to vibrant fuchsia. Always made in a dry style, Provence’s rosés are arguably among the world’s most difficult wines to make, challenging the winemaker to extract enough color and tannin without sacrificing freshness and aroma. This seminar introduces you to Provence’s unique, Mediterranean landscape, explores the ins and outs of its nine appellations, discusses the art and science of crafting fine, dry rosé, and puts all the theory to the taste test. You will learn how to evaluate color, aroma and flavor using a vocabulary developed by the Provençal Centre de Recherche et d’Expérimentation sur le Vin Rosé (Rosé Wine Research and Development Center) in this hands-on lecture and tasting. It’s time to think pink! Speakers: Francois Millo, Director of Provence Wine Council Provence native François Millo has been with CIVP since its formation in 2004. Before that, he was director of the professional organization of Côtes de Provence, CIVP’s predecessor. He previously directed the Regional Union of Bordeaux Wines for eight years. He worked for several years in Mexico and Africa after completing his studies in agricultural engineering and marketing. Millo is also a photographer and the author of several gourmet guides and books on the wines of Provence. Suzanne McGrath, CWE Certified Wine Educator Suzanne McGrath is the CEO and wine buyer for The Curious Grape, a retailer of fine wines and cheeses that was voted the Washington DC area’s Top Wine Store in 2006. In addition to her work as a retailer, Suzanne also developed and manages a concession wine bar at the highly-acclaimed Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. A busy Certified Wine Educator, she also developed a comprehensive mandatory staff education program, resulting in sixteen Curious Grape staff members attaining the Society of Wine Educators’ Certified Specialist of Wine designation. She has taught over 100 classes and seminars for consumers and for the French Wine Society. Suzanne was the 2006 recipient of the prestigious Banfi Award, given annually by the Society of Wine Educators to the individual who achieves the highest score on the internationally-administered Certified Wine Educator exam. She also holds the Diploma designation from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust (WSET) and is an International Bordeaux Wine Educator (awarded by the Ecole de Vins de Bordeaux) and Spanish Wine Educator (awarded by the Spanish Wine Academy). Wednesday, October 07th 8:00-10:00am 10:00-11:30am In recent decades, Beaujolais has been highly visible due to well-promoted Beaujolais Nouveau with its easy-quaffing and refreshing style. As desirable as this image is, wines made by carbonic maceration are but one part of the Beaujolais story. Great producers in exciting Crus produce superbly enticing food-friendly wines according to traditional yeast-driven winemaking methods as well as by combining both winemaking techniques. Today we find non-traditional Beaujolais rosé and an increasing number of white wines made from Chardonnay. There is diversity here and the diversity is in demand. Get the inside story! Speaker: Roger Dagorn, Master Sommelier Roger Dagorn joined Chanterelle in 1993. The recipient of many prestigious awards, Roger was recognized by the James Beard Foundation in 1996 winning the Outstanding Wine Service Award. In 1991 Roger was honored by Chefs in America as Best Sommelier in America and in 1995 he was honored as Best Sommelier by the New York Press. Roger represented the United States as a contestant in the International Concours des Sommeliers VI. For the Concours VIII in Japan, Roger served as a judge. In both 1987 and 1988, he was the first runner up in the national finals of the Best Sommelier of French Wine and Spirits. Roger is a highly saught-after lecturer, acts as a wine list consultant for others, and has written extensively about wine. Prior to joining Chanterelle, he was the Master Sommelier at se Yang, a restaurant noted for haute Mandarine cuisine with an acclaimed wine list, Restaurant Director at l’Ecole – the restaurant of the French Culinary Institute, and the Sommelier at Hotel Le Parker Meridien in New York. Currently, Roger teaches the Wine Education Program at the New York City College of Technology of CUNY. 12:45-2:15pm Discover the origins of Burgundian climats and the role played by the church in the delineation of the corresponding terroirs, their classification and the related négociant wines prices over the centuries. Find out how history impacts today. How has each village applied for single vineyard premier cru status in the past? Is there a push for more premier crus today? What will this mean to the overall structure of Burgundy as a whole? Compare and contrast premier crus from southern Burgundy and the Cote d’Or. Speaker: James King, WSET Diploma and Instructor, FWA Master-level Burgundy Instructor James started in the wine industry after graduating from Edinburgh University in 1994. He went straight into the influential London Wine retail scene and passed the W.S.E.T. Diploma in 1996. He then headed to the Hunter Valley, Australia, to get an education in the supply side by working in a winery. This then allowed him to become a wine rep for the large New Zealand organization Montana wines, and then work on their corporate entertainment and education program. Landing in the USA he started his own business and joined the highly respected retailer the Wine House in Los Angeles. In 2007 James started teaching the W.S.E.T. program for them. He teaches over 200 students at the Intermediate, Spirits and Advanced level. He is currently overseeing the expansion of the W.S.E.T. for the Wine House in San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, the Desert and Santa Barbara. 2:30-4:00pm The last two decades have seen a revolution in Bordeaux. Prices for the top châteaux have climbed into the stratosphere, most produce second wines as well as grand vins, and styles have become increasingly ”international.” At the same time, smaller château owners are going bankrupt because their wines cannot compete against the New World. The seminar “Bordeaux, Past, Present and Future” will consider the factors responsible for these changes in Bordeaux, discuss classification systems and their connection to terroir, the effects that the unique distribution system of the Place de Bordeaux has on pricing cycles, the influence of the critics, how and why the style of Bordeaux is changing, and whether Bordeaux can survive global warming. Take a new look at Bordeaux. Speaker: Dr. Benjamin Lewin, MW, Author of "What Price Bordeaux?" Wine is Dr. Benjamin Lewin’s second career. Previously, he was the founding Editor of Cell, the world's leading biology journal, and is author of several best-selling books on science. Now writing about wine, he has received the prestigious qualification of Master of Wine from the Institute of Masters of Wine in London. His book ”What Price Bordeaux?” is a novel examination of the factors underlying style and quality in the wines of Bordeaux, and his next book, Wine Myths and Reality, is a worldwide survey of the wine industry and the wines it produces. Benjamin Lewin divides his time between the eastern United States and the wine regions of Europe. 4:00-5:30pm The Languedoc-Roussillon region is home to France’s celebrated Vins Doux Naturels. Explore this category of wines as we compare and contrast the Muscats of the Languedoc made from Muscat à Petit Grains with the Muscat à Petit Grains/Muscat d'Alexandrie and Grenache Blanc/Malvoisie-dominated white and Grenache-based red VDNs of Roussillon. Did you know that Roussillon itself produces 90% of all French Vins Doux Naturels? Did you know that not all of them are sweet? Learn how these stunning wines are made and how they are aged. This unique seminar and tutored tasting will walk you through each of the VDN AOCs of the Languedoc-Roussillon and unveil to you some of France’s greatest national treasures. Speaker: Jamal Rayyis, Journalist and Wine Critic Jamal is the author of seven editions of Food & Wine Magazine's Wine Guide (2002-2008). His work has appeared in several magazines, including Food & Wine, Departures, Wine & Spirits, and Wine Enthusiast, as well as The New York Times, Fodors, and several internet publications. |
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