NEW YORK (PRWEB) – Volcanic Wines International (http://www.volcanicwinesinternational.com) held its second annual ‘International Volcanic Wines Conference (IVWC)’ on June 5th, 2019 at the Stewart Hotel in New York City. Hosted by John Szabo, Master Sommelier and award-winning author, the event followed the success of the first International Volcanic Wine Conference in March 2018 and Szabo’s definitive book on the subject, ‘Volcanic Wines: Salt, Grit and Power,’ published in 2016. Exclusively for qualified wine trade and media, over 250 industry professionals attended the event.
“This year’s conference really focused on the educational side of the subject. The opening session in particular, an exploration of the chemistry of perceived and measurable minerality, really captured the attention of attendees, said John Szabo MS. “The Soave workshop explored aspects of viticulture; the Vesuvius workshop dug deep into history and archeology, while the vertical tasting of Galardi explored the ageability of volcanic wines – all critical aspects of the category. And of course, there were hundreds of exceptional wines to taste and compare and contrast. “It’s very satisfying to see how the volcanic wine movement — and the annual conference— continue to gain traction and attract interest.”
The IVWC began with an opening presentation hosted by John Szabo and Benoît Marsan Ph.D., Chemistry Professor at the Université du Québec in Montréal and Wine Chemistry Specialist. Szabo and Marsan presented the results of their joint research study related to minerality, exploring the presence of succinic acid in volcanic wines and its influence on perceived saltiness. Throughout the afternoon, members of the wine trade and press participated in additional unique workshops highlighting different volcanic wine regions, as well as a walk-around tasting.
“It was a terrific opportunity to take a deep dive into the complex interaction between vines and volcanic soils, both through tasting and talking with vintners from around the world,” said Tara Q. Thomas, Executive Editor of Wine & Spirits Magazine, the media partner for the event. “The session with Professor Marsan, who gave a crash course in inorganic chemistry, was an extra bonus, offering us a deeper understanding of the many ways soil chemistry can affect what we taste in our glasses.”
Regional seminars included “Earth, Ash and Fire: Three Decades of Galardi from the Roccamonfina Volcano,” sponsored by The Winebow Group; “Soave, A Volcanic Agricultural Heritage,” sponsored by the Consorzio Tutela Vino Soave; and “Vesuvius Lacryma Christi Stories,” sponsored by the Vesuvio DOP Consorzio Tutela Vini. During the tasting workshops, winemakers and experts from these regions delved deeply into the factors that makes these volcanic wines special.
Volcanic Wines International continues its mission of exploring the defining characteristics of volcanic wines. The conference acted as a catalyst for the volcanic wine community, bringing together producers from all over the world and raising the profile of volcanic wines, defined as a unique category of wines produced under some of the most extreme viticultural conditions on the planet. During the conference, guests were able to sample wines from over 60 wineries and 23 volcanic wine regions, and engage with some of the world’s leading volcanic wine experts during workshops.
“It was a great event, offering insight into the world of volcanic wines,” said Tara Empson, CEO of Empson USA, which showed wines from Soave producer Tenuta Corte Giacobbe Dal Cero. “The seminars tied together the many factors that help shape and characterize these remarkable wines. The grand tasting was diverse, as there were volcanic wines from many parts of the world, which helped attendees understand the similarities and differences of these wines.”
For more information and the latest updates, visit Volcanic Wines International’s official website http://www.volcanicwinesinternational.com, and follow VWI’s Facebook (Volcanic Wines International) and Instagram (@volcanicwines_intl) pages.
About Volcanic Wines International (VWI)
The mission of Volcanic Wines International is to take the leading role in defining and establishing a Volcanic Wine Movement, and to provide educational and promotional opportunities for volcanic wine producers internationally. Volcanic Wines International also plans to establish the volcanic wine brand as a premium category of high quality wines with a true sense of place.
About John Szabo
John Szabo is a Toronto-based author and wine critic, and in 2004 was the first Canadian to add the Master Sommelier credential to his name. He was named ‘Canada’s best-known sommelier’ in Meininger’s Wine Business International, and he is a partner and a wine critic for WineAlign.com and freelances widely. In addition to Volcanic Wines, Salt, Grit and Power, his book titles include Pairing Food and Wine for Dummies and Sommelier Management. John also works as a restaurant consultant, and speaks and judges internationally, when he’s not making a few dozen bottles of wine from his vineyard in Eger, Hungary.
