Apply now for one of thirty fully-funded fellowships
August 15, 2017 – St. Helena, CA Renowned author and wine consultant Steven Spurrier joins a robust faculty of writers, editors, and coaches as the keynote speaker at the 14th annual Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, to be held February 20 to 23, 2018 at Meadowood Napa Valley.
L-R: 2018 Symposium Keynote Speaker, author & wine consultant Steven Spurrier; Symposium panel & discussion at Meadowood Napa Valley; and Symposium Emcee Leslie Sbrocco and author Karen MacNeil.
For the third year in a row, the Symposium will offer thirty fully-funded fellowships for accomplished writers in the wine, food and wine, and travel and wine fields. The three-day event includes workshops, panel discussions, tastings, and one-one-coaching, all supporting excellence in wine writing and providing mentorship and networking opportunities.
Steven Spurrier may be best known for having created the tasting between top Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from California and France in May 1976, subsequently referred to as The Judgment of Paris. A recreation of this event was held 30 years to the day on May 24, 2006, simultaneously in London and Napa. Spurrier is currently consultant editor for Decanter Magazine and chairman of the Decanter World Wine Awards, now the world’s biggest wine competition, since its inception in 2004 and Chairman of Decanter Asia Wine Awards, Asia’s largest wine competition, since 2012. He is the author of eight books on wine, including L’Academie du Vin Wine Course and L’Academie du Vin Guide to French Wines. His memoir, Wine, a Way of Life, will be published in April 2018 by Adelphi.
The Symposium faculty includes Callie Crossley, radio and TV host, commentator, WGBH Boston; Evan Goldstein, Master Sommelier and author; Jim Gordon, editor, Wines & Vines and contributing editor, Wine Enthusiast; Rae Ann Herman, contributing style editor at O, The Oprah Magazine; Todd Kliman, author and critic; Dave McIntyre, wine columnist, The Washington Post; Orianne Nouailhac, publisher, editor in chief, VIGNERON; Cyril Penn, editor, Wine Business Monthly; Pavia Rosati, founder and CEO, Fathom; Tracey Ryder, co-founder, Edible Communities; Leslie Sbrocco, author and television host; Lettie Teague, wine columnist, The Wall Street Journal; and Amy Wislocki, managing editor, Decanter.
Interested writers who can demonstrate at least two paid, published byline articles in the past 12 months are encouraged to apply for the open fellowships. A team of independent judges anonymously evaluates all submissions. Applications will be accepted until October 1, 2017. For more information and to apply, go to www.winewriterssymposium.org/fellowship-opportunities.
The Symposium is scheduled during Premiere Napa Valley, a week of industry-focused events, hosted by the Napa Valley Vintners, culminating in the annual grand tasting and futures auction.
About the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers
The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, founded by Meadowood Napa Valley and the Napa Valley Vintners association and supported by The Culinary Institute of America, draws top wine book authors and editors, wine magazine writers and critics, newspaper wine columnists, bloggers and other editorial wine content creators to Napa Valley to speak, listen, debate, explore themes prevalent in contemporary wine writing and network with their peers for four days. A combination of lectures, panel discussions, group and individual writing sessions, wine tasting and fine dining make the Symposium an unmatched career enrichment opportunity for editorial wine, wine-food, and wine-travel writers. Learn more at WineWritersSymposium.org.
