Liquid Love Letter: Wine Conferences (For All)

Cathy

Every industry has their gatherings.

Their conferences, that is, their “summits,” and their trade shows. It’s where industry professionals come to learn, and others come to drum up new business, and still others come in response to organizer invitations to present research or thought leadership. Conferences keep the wheels of an industry moving, from past legacies to current trends to future forecasts.

Sometimes, those conferences also open their doors to “non-trade,” meaning people who are interested in a particular industry and are peripherally interested in the professional content. Yoga teachers, for example, attending a conference organized by real estate agents who cater to the wellness industry, or manufacturers of tea who attend a hospitality conference about restaurant trends.

And then there’s the wine industry.

We have no shortage of conferences, trade shows, and professional gatherings. They are organized year-round and around the country and the world. Sometimes they are organized according to geography and sometimes according to subject matter. Sometimes (the lucky times) they are open to consumers, and sometimes not.

The best reasons to attend the lucky conferences that are open to consumers are to immerse yourself in the experience, and be surrounded by people who live and breathe wine. Depending on the topics of the conference, that could be the growers, the winery owners, the managers and staff, the equipment makers, the sommeliers, the buyers, or any number of other access points to a life in wine.

Another main reason to attend a wine conference — whether as a consumer or professional — is to meet other people who are just as interested in wine as you are, if not moreso. Other Pinot lovers, for example, or other collectors, or other entrepreneurs, or other people keen to know more about the impact of climate change on grapes and winemaking, or or or.

Conferences are a focused, self-selected community to tap into, or dive deeply into. Either way, your people are waiting.

Matthew

I've been to a lot of wine conferences. Each time I have the pleasure to get back to an old favorite or attend one for the first time, I think back to all the amazing people who work tirelessly to organize, program, and facilitate all that goes into these gargantuan events.

This morning I returned home from a few days in Dallas, where I attended TexSom. I had been invited about a decade ago, wasn't able to attend, but this year the stars aligned and now I understand what all the excitement is about.

These conferences are for us dorks. Attendance is limited, and never guaranteed unless you play a role in the success of the event, pay to be there, or donate your time. Being in the room finally meant a lot.

I ran into many old friends, and none of them knew I'd be there so it was really fun to turn corners and see more and more familiar faces.

In total 2024 fashion, I also got to meet a sizable amount of people with whom I was familiar on social media, but we'd never been in the same room before.

With a schedule of seminars running three times a day, expo wine tasting from the end-time of the last seminar up until the next, sponsored lunches by wine regions and brands, and even more tastings after it was all done...this is one of the most thoughtful and thought-provoking displays of thousands of wines I've ever attended.

I see wine conferences a little differently now, and I will be attending with more open eyes moving forward.