NEW YORK (PRWEB) – 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.
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About John Szabo
Master Sommelier John Szabo was the first Canadian to add the “MS” after his name in 2004. He holds the international Wine & Spirits Education Trust Diploma with honors, as well as the Canadian Sommelier Guild diploma. He’s principal critic for WineAlign.com, Canada’s premiere wine resource, and co-host and producer of the podcast Wine Thieves with a global following in the trade. He contributes to many international trade and consumer publications and is currently co-writing a book on wine chemistry. He is a regular guest speaker at events worldwide and has traveled to virtually every wine producing country on earth, (volcanic and otherwise!) in pursuit of fine wine and to keep on top of this fascinating industry. In his spare time, he tends to his new vineyard in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
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 Colangelo & Partners
Colangelo & Partners specializes in premium food, wine and spirits brands, and has long-established relationships with the key press that drive these business categories and help determine the industry leaders. Agency principals have years of experience in retail and distribution as well as communications, a rare combination that gives Colangelo & Partners invaluable insights into consumer purchasing behavior. The agency focuses on “closing the loop” between creative communications programs, distribution, promotion, publicity and the consumer in order to maximize the efficiency of its communications programs and deliver measurable results. http://www.colangelopr.com/
