Trade Summit Featuring Master Sommeliers, Wine Industry Leaders and Hospitality Professionals to Return in 2019
Central Coast, CA—The recent inaugural “Wine Speak Paso Robles” event is being hailed as a success by both attendees and organizers. A repeat performance is now in the works for January 8-10 of 2019.
“People really responded to the vision and uniqueness of this event, which has inspired us to do it again next year,” said Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins, co-founder of Wine Speak Paso Robles and VP of operations at Ancient Peaks Winery. “I think we achieved our aim of creating a premier experience for industry professionals to grow and learn together.”
2018 Wine Speak Recap
Held on January 9-11, 2018, the inaugural Wine Speak Paso Robles brought together an all-star cast of master sommeliers, wine industry leaders and hospitality professionals. It featured winemaker seminars, hospitality development seminars, technical winery tours and private tastings, as well as a public “Taste of Paso Robles” grand tasting.
“I thought the event was so important because it brought together all of the different sides of our industry under one roof,” said Matt Dees, winemaker at Jonata and a featured Wine Speak panelist. “I found the event to be incredibly well organized and thoughtful in its approach, with lots of good conversation.”
Added Meridith May, publisher and editorial director of THE TASTING PANEL and The SOMM Journal magazines, “Wine Speak Paso Robles was an important event because it brought professionals to the region while also looking at wines outside the region. Not only did it enhance our palates to understand the nuances of Cabernet and Syrah in the old and new worlds, but it further fortified Paso Robles’s place in the global wine arena.”
According to Wine Speak co-founders Chuck Furuya and Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins, all seminars and tastings were sold out in advance. More than 700 people attended Wine Speak Paso Robles, including many from out of the area. Participating winemakers, sommeliers and speakers came from as far as Australia, Hawaii and Washington.
Highlights included winemaker seminars on Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as a sommelier-led blind tasting. Executives from Hawaiian Airlines came to present a seminar on “The Philosophy of Aloha: Building a Great Customer Service Culture.” The grand tasting showcased 25 leading local wineries in an intimate setting along with food provided by local chefs and culinary artisans.
Said attendee Melissa Swanson, sales and marketing director for Alta Colina Winery, “Spending a day in the hospitality seminars led by our industry’s best has given me a renewed sense of excitement about what I can contribute—not only to our winery, but to the community as a whole.”
Wine Speak Paso Robles is a premiere industry summit that brings sommeliers, wine industry leaders and hospitality professionals together for a three-day educational journey. Join master sommelier Chuck Furuya and his peers as they steer winemaker seminars, hospitality classes, wine tastings and special vineyard excursions—all designed to advance professional collaboration, knowledge and performance throughout the wine industry. Visit WineSpeakPaso.com.
