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Sonoma County Welcomes the World: Delegates from Five Continents Arrive for Wine Vision 2016

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wine-visionAlmost 200 wine industry leaders from 20 countries and five continents are arriving in Sonoma County, California in readiness for Wine Vision 2016 – the premier international wine industry event – which opens this Monday, 5 December.  This is the first time an American wine region is hosting Wine Vision which every year brings an international delegation to a different wine hot spot in order to showcase excellence, innovation and, in the case of Sonoma County, leadership in sustainability.

During their time at Wine Vision, delegates will visit at least three of Sonoma’s most progressive wineries in a series of networking events interspersed with a compelling conference agenda.  Those with an appetite to do so can also extend their visit with a choice of two optional wine tours hosted by Sonoma County.  “So much more than a conference, Wine Vision encourages delegates to immerse themselves in the wine growing practices of its host region – to learn, share and be inspired,” says Andrew Reed, Divisional Managing Director at William Reed, the organisers of Wine Vision.

Sonoma wineries opening their doors for Wine Vision include:

  • The Francis Ford Coppola Winery, founded by the Academy Award winning director and screen writer, will host Wine Vision’s opening night reception with a celebration of the 83rd anniversary of the repeal of the Prohibition Act in movie-inspired splendour.
  • Two wineries will host the Wine Vision Dinner on 6 December, with delegates visiting either Rodney Strong Vineyards, Sonoma’s first carbon-neutral winery, or the Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate and Gardens, a pioneer of sustainable viticulture and natural resource management.  Both will present guests with an outstanding culinary experience matched by award winning wines.
  • Lunch on 7 December will be hosted by the MacMurray Ranch, bought by the actor Fred MacMurray in 1941 and transformed into a world class winery in 1996, this is now acclaimed as one of the Russian River Valley’s most acclaimed Pinot Noir vineyards.

Optional wine tours on 8 December will visit wineries in Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley, three of the most prestigious domains within Sonoma County. Wine Vision’s 2016 conference agenda is wide ranging in scope.  Given its location in Sonoma County, set to become the USA’s first 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019, it will include a precision focus on sustainability including:

  • President of Jackson Family Wines, Hugh Reimers, will reveal the environmental and commercial benefits of the winery’s most progressive initiatives, including a collaboration with Tesla Energy to foster onsite energy storage and a solar energy programme that’s turned the winery into an electricity generator.
  • Karissa Krusse, President of the Sonoma County Winegrowers, will describe a programme of healthcare, childcare, education and affordable housing aimed at revitalising a local agricultural workforce in crisis.
  • From further afield, New Zealand’s Avram Deitch will explain how Yealands Winery was built from sustainability from the get go and why, as well as winning international recognition for its wines, it is proud to be the world’s first winery to be carbon neutral from inception.

Other conference agenda highlights include:

  • Annette Alvarez-Peters, who manages the wine, beer and spirits department for the world’s 2nd biggest retailer, Costco, is joined by Terry Creaturo of Kroger and Anne Saunders of the direct-to-consumer retailer Naked Wines, to discuss new directions in North American wine retailing.
  • Eric Wilkes of the Australian Wine Research Institute gives us ‘closure on closure’ by revealing the findings of an unprecedented joint research effort between the Institute and the International Wine Challenge.  It promises to shed new and definitive light on the impact of different wine closures on wine quality.
  • From sustainability to growth, three dynamic wine entrepreneurs from France, Slovenia and the USA will share their tips and debate the pre-requisites for accelerated growth and marketplace differentiation.

In all, more than 35 speakers and contributors will offer insights, experience and observations from around the world of wine.  “Bringing Wine Vision to Sonoma County is not only an opportunity to showcase our success,” it puts us at the centre of a unique learning experience that unites the industry in best practice sharing and forges international collaboration to tackle the issues that challenge us all,” says Karissa Kruse, President of Sonoma County Winegrowers.

Jean Arnold Sessions, recently appointed Executive Director of Sonoma County Vintners adds, “Sonoma County welcomes the world – this is a wine making community with great stories to tell; stories that bring to life the challenge of working in a diverse landscape and forging an industry based on sustainable grape growing and wine making of the finest quality.  We hope Wine Vision delegates will be impressed and inspired.”

Wine Vision 2016 will be held at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek, 170 Railroad Street, Santa Rosa, California from Monday 5 December to Wednesday 7 December.  It’s not too late to book your place; simply go to www.winevision.com.  Wine Vision is organised by Vision Events, a division of William Reed, and sponsored in 2016 by Vinventions, Amorim, Free Flow Wines, Thinfilm, the WSET and Wineseq – Biome Makers.

About Wine Vision

Wine Vision is a leading industry event created by the international publishing and events business, William Reed.  Wine Vision was founded in 2013, takes place annually and complements a portfolio of wine publications and events, which include the globally renowned International Wine Challenge and BeverageDaily.com.  It administers the World’s 50 Best Restaurants programme.  

www.winevision.com

About William Reed

Wine Vision is delivered by William Reed, publishers of a host of magazines, digital newsletters, publications and data sources for the wine industry.

As in international events company, William Reed welcomes more than 40,000 delegates to over 40 live events, conferences and exhibitions every year, on every continent.

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