The 2022 conference will take place September 29 – October 1 at Lake Garda in Lombardy in northern Italy. The agenda below will change as we continue to plan a fun and safe conference in 2022. Please take a few minutes to read our new Safety Procedures with COVID-19.
2022 Wine Media Conference Agenda
All sessions will take place at Acquaviva Hotel in the Main Meeting Room unless otherwise indicated.
Tuesday – Wednesday, September 27 – 28
Pre-Conference Excursions: In 2022, we will be offering a number of optional pre-conference excursions. There will be a small additional registration cost and attendees are responsible for their own hotel but winery visits, tastings, and most meals are included.
- Consorzio Tutela Valcalepio & Consorzio Tutela Moscato di Scanzo (September 27)
- Consorzio Tutela Lugana DOC (September 28)
- Consorzio Valtènesi & Consorzio Garda DOC (September 28)
Thursday, September 29
Breakfast on Your Own
12:30 – 1:30 PM Discovery Session (TBD)
1:30 – 2:00 PM Break
2:00 – 3:00 PM Consorzio del Sannio DOP Discovery Session: Experience southern Italy with Consorzio del Sannio DOP. Join them for an interesting look and taste of the wine region.
3:00 – 3:30 PM Break
3:30 – 4:30 PM Discovery Session (TBD)
4:30 – 5:00 PM Break
5:00- 6:00 PM Discovery Session (TBD)
6:00 – 8:00 PM Welcome Reception with small bites
- Bites and finger food included:
- Mixed puff pastries
- Small sandwiches with salmon
- Cous cous salad with vegetables and feta
- Deep fried seaweed
- Burrata and tomato jelly with fresh basil
- Small vegetables strudel
- Mixed stuffed sandwiches
- Cassolet pudding with parmesan fondue
- Tataki seared tuna with soy vegetables
- Vegetable omelettes
- Cuttlefish with mixed vegetables
- Smoked swordfish carpaccio with mixed salad, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and olives
- Bean salad with fresh tomato concassé, red onion and basil
- Basmati rice with curry chicken strips
- Gazpacho with vegetables
- Mixed fruit skewers
Friday, September 30
Breakfast on Your Own
8:30 AM – 5:30 PM Registration
9:00 – 9:15 AM Official Conference Opening with Allan Wright
9:15 – 10:15 AM Introduction to Lombardy as a Wine Region
10:15 – 10:45 AM What Italian Wines Can Teach Us About Building Authentic Creator Brands: Italian wines have had a lot of past perceptions to overcome – the straw basket red wine, the bubbly served “on ice, that’s nice,” the overserved white lacking character. Today, we know Chianti can be inspiring, Lambrusco can be dry, and Pinot Grigio can be complex and wonderful. While some of these altered perceptions can be attributed to winemaking changes, they are also due to regions creating genuine messages that celebrate indigenous grapes. In this session, Diane Letulle will talk about how content creators can build their own memorable, authentic brands – and we’ll take inspiration from Italian wine success stories!
10:45 – 11:00 AM Break
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Sweet Wines of Bordeaux Discovery Session
12:00 PM – 1:15 PM Lunch Provided
1:15 – 1:45 PM Do wine podcasts work?: Are podcasts effective? Effective podcasting means different things to different people but often its ethos is to break the barriers in wine, steer it away from the undesired pitfalls of the past or to educate. To measure success we could use stats, engagement and expansion as a yard stick and moreover, what did the Covid period teach us about podcast listenership? Does it pay to podcast and what does this have to do with success in this medium? In this vein, success is relative, podcasting is a personal investment that goes beyond simply accruing listenership for the sake of monetary gain. Stevie Kim, founder of Italian Wine Podcast gives her take on the ups and downs of delivering a successful podcast and what the medium means for the future of wine communications.
1:45 – 2:45 PM Discovery Session with Consorzio Valtellina
2:45 – 3:00 PM Break
3:00 – 3:30 PM Making Your Travel Into A Short Film with Barbara Barrielle: More information coming soon.
3:30 – 4:00 PMHow to Tease out a Unique Wine Story When the Wineries’ Stories all Sound the Same with Cathy Huyghe: More information coming soon.
4:00 – 5:00 PM Live Wine Social – White/Rosé: Live Wine Social (previously Live Wine Blogging) is the signature event of the conference but will be adapted in 2022 due to COVID protocols. Wineries will each have five minutes to address the entire audience while attendees are tasting their wine. Attendees will evaluate the wine, take notes for later posts, and post on social media live about the wines they taste. This is the fastest, most fun event at the conference. Wineries, please see our Sponsorship opportunities page for details on pouring.
5:00 – 5:30 PM Live Wine Social: Meet the Wineries: Stick around after Live Wine Social to spend time with our wineries, have a second taste of your favorites, and mingle before we depart for this evening’s main event.
6:00 – 9:30 PM Dinner Excursions (Offsite): More information coming soon.
Saturday, October 1
Breakfast on Your Own
8:30 AM – 6:00 PM Registration
9:00 – 9:45 AM Death and Rebirth of Wine Writing with Bruce Schoenfeld: More information coming soon.
9:45 – 10:30 AM Out With the Same ‘Ol: The Time is NOW to Shine the Spotlight on the Weird and Wonderful, Lesser-Known Grape Varieties Out There with Devin Parr: There are literally thousands of wine grape varieties grown all over the world, and yet head into any grocery store, restaurant, or retailer, and the selection is dominated by the usual suspects – Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. The “industry” will tell us that it is this way because that’s what consumers want. But, consumers don’t know what they don’t know! How can they demand new and different options if they aren’t regularly exposed to them? It’s a chicken or egg question, and one that this session will aim to unpack. The goal of this session is to show the how and why of writing about offbeat grape varieties and how, in doing so, we as an industry and community of writers can start to change the face of the wine business as a whole. Participants will hopefully leave the session with the following takeaways: 1) An understanding of the unseen forces that pressure industry decision makers to perpetually focus on the big six wine grapes. 2) Why it’s important now more than ever to start to tell the stories of unique and indigenous wine grapes. 3) Inspiration for uncovering the stories of these grapes. 4) Greater confidence in taking the road less traveled when it comes to writing about offbeat wines, and/or pitching them for coverage.
10:30 – 10:45 AM Break
10:45 – 11:30 AM Panel Session with Gwendolyn Alley: More information coming soon.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Discovery Session with Garda DOC
12:30 AM – 1:45 PM Lunch Provided
1:45 – 2:45 PM Wines of Abruzzi Discovery Session
2:45 – 3:30 PM Ethics & Sustainability in Winemaking Panel: Ferrari’s winemaker and co-owner Marcello Lunelli would speak about Ferrari’s sustainability protocol and achievement of carbon neutrality from his experience in the Italian Alps. Salcheto’s winemaker and owner Michele Manelli would also speak about carbon neutrality, ethics in winery employment, and his winery’s creative approaches to sustainability business in hospitality, as well as winemaking from his experience in Montepulciano, Tuscany. Moderator Erica Nonni.
3:30 – 3:45 PM Break
3:45 – 4:45 PM Discovery Session with Lugana DOC
4:45 – 5:30 Panel Session
5:30 – 5:35 PM Conference Wrap-up & Thank-yous
5:35 – 6:30 PM Live Wine Social – Red: Live Wine Social (previously Live Wine Blogging) is the signature event of the conference but will be adapted in 2022 due to COVID protocols. Wineries will each have five minutes to address the entire audience while attendees are tasting their wine. Attendees will evaluate the wine, take notes for later posts, and post on social media live about the wines they taste. This is the fastest, most fun event at the conference. Wineries, please see our Sponsorship opportunities page for details on pouring.
6:30 – 7:00 PM Live Wine Social: Meet the Wineries: Stick around after Live Wine Social to spend time with our wineries, have a second taste of your favorites, and mingle before we officially close this year’s conference.
7:00 – 9:00 PM Dinner: More information coming soon.
Sunday – Monday, October 2 – 3
Post-Conference Excursions: In 2022, we will be offering a number of optional post-conference excursions. There will be a small additional registration cost and attendees are responsible for their own hotel but winery visits, tastings, and most meals are included.
- Consorzio Vini Mantovani (October 2)
- Consorzio Tutela Vini Oltrepo Pavese (October 2 – 3)
- SOLD OUT! Consorzio Tutela Vini di Valtellina (October 2 – 3)