The Highly Anticipated 3rd Edition of the Volcanic Wine Conference, to be Held June 21st in New York City, Attracts Wide Range of Wineries from Around the World
- 40+ wineries from over 15 regions will showcase diverse volcanic wines at the conference hosted by Master Sommelier and volcanic wine expert John Szabo
Excitement for the 3rd edition of the Volcanic Wine Conference in New York City is growing. Volcanic Wines International has announced that the event will take place June 21st from 10:30 am to 4.00 pm at City Winery on the Hudson River. The conference was created in 2018 by John Szabo, Master Sommelier and award-winning author, in partnership with Colangelo & Partners, the leading wine and spirits-focused PR agency in the US. This year’s conference will feature a walk-around tasting with an opening session hosted by John Szabo and special guest Dr. Kevin Franks, Associate Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University, who will present on the neuroscience of olfaction: “how the brain identifies, remembers and attributes meaning to odors.” Additionally, there will be three masterclass seminars sponsored by: Lake County Wine Grape Commission and presented by a specialist from the United States Geological Survey, the wines of Santorini with volcanologist Dr. Christos Kanellopoulos, and Volcanic White Wines From Sicily to Soave to Santorini, hosted by Winebow Imports with Yiannis Paraskevopoulos of Gai’a Winery and Ron Edwards MS.
The combination of wineries and regions represented, along with the educational focus highlighted by the masterclass seminars make the Volcanic Wine Conference a truly unique event. Volcanic Wines International seeks to bring more attention to a diverse collection of regions and winemakers not yet on the radar of many consumers and industry professionals. As in the previous editions in 2018 and 2019, the Conference has partnered with Wine & Spirits Magazine as the exclusive media partner.
Participating wineries represent a wide range of regions and volcanic soils, including Lake County, Etna, Vulkanland Steiermark, the Aeolian Islands, Santorini, Pitigliano, Lazio, Mount Vulture, Northern Greece, Azores, Campania, Soave, and Cyprus.
“Volcanic wines represent a worthy collection of highly distinctive, individual expressions – stubborn holdouts in a world of merging flavors,” states John Szabo. “With this project I hope, by shining a spotlight, to help protect worthy regions and native grapes in danger of disappearing due to a combination of the difficulty of farming and the lack of consumer awareness (and thus low prices). It’s my way of championing diversity and preserving vital world viticultural patrimony.”
Adds Gino Colangelo, president of Colangelo & Partners, “we are seeing a definite increase in interest and appreciation for the diversity offered by wines from volcanic soils. In a market filled with choices, wine lovers, industry members and press are looking for wines that stand out and are unique.” The wines and regions represented in this year’s conference have been featured in outlets such as the Guardian, Decanter, Wine & Spirits Magazine, The Drinks Business, Gault Millau and JancisRobinson.com among others, while sommeliers have embraced their distinctive characteristics.
Exhibiting wineries this year include: Pietradolce, The Lake County Wine Grape Commission, Alberelli di Giodo, Weingut Krispel, Firriato Winery, Passopisciaro, Inama, Estate Argyros, Gai’a Winery, Domaine Sigalas, Tenuta di Castellaro, Massimo Lentsch, Tasca d’Almerita, Tenuta Tascante, Obsidian Wine, Sassontondo, Tenimenti Leone, Tenuta Costantino, Duca di Salaparuta, Donnafugata, Planeta, Cantine del Notaio, Azores Wine Company, Bosco De’ Medici, La Guardiense, Cottanera, Pra, Suavia, Nicosia, Anatolikos Vineyards, Artemis Karamolegos, Tsiakka, Vinea Ardua.
For more information and the latest conference updates, visit http://www.volcanicwinesinternational.com, and follow the VWI’s Facebook (Volcanic Wines International) and Instagram (@volcanicwines_intl) pages.