Producers of Celebrated Festivals La Paulée, La Fête du Champagne & La Tablée Join Forces with Italian Wine Expert Jeffrey Porter to Introduce
A Festival Celebrating the Great Wines of Italy, Launching in May 2025
NEW YORK, November 12, 2024 – Acclaimed sommelier and wine expert Jeffrey Porter joins the La Paulée team to announce a new festival as part of their roster of premier events celebrating wine and culture. Convivio del Vino, kicking off in May 2025, will see the La Paulée team take their wine expertise to Italy, drawing from Porter’s and their deep relationships with the great winemakers and estates of the storied wine-producing country. The new initiative joins La Paulée, launched in 2000 to celebrate Burgundy, along with sibling festivals La Fête du Champagne (2014) and La Tablée New York (2019), which champions the wines of the Rhône Valley.
“We are known as Francophiles but that does not lessen our passion for Italian wine, food and culture,” says La Paulée’s founder Daniel Johnnes. “To reinforce our focus on Italy, we asked our friend Jeff Porter, who lives in Turin, to bring the great family estates of Italy to the U.S. in a grand celebration.”
The inaugural Convivio del Vino will take place in early May 2025, with events around New York City leading up to an extensive tasting and a Gala dinner on Saturday, May 3 at City Winery.
The participating wineries are:
Emidio Pepe • Tiberio • Grifalco/San Martino • Ognostro • Chiara Condella • Nikolas Juretic Gravner • Borgo di Tiglio • La Visciola • Nicola Gatta • La Terrazzi Alti • Fattoria San Lorenzo Penna – Currado • G.B. Burlotto • Giulia Negri • Fletcher • Colombera / Garella / La Pianella Piero Busso • Schirru • Graci• Arianna Occhipinti • Niedrist • Foradori • Cigliano di Sopra • Le Macchiole • Petrolo • Istine • Le Ragnaie • Castello di Solomeo • Pra • Monte dal Oro Massimo Coletti
“Convivio del Vino is a celebration of dedicated Italian growers, from historic family estates to a new generation of growers, all united by a common purpose: striving to do their best for their land, community, and Italian wine,” says Porter. “We aim to share the stories and wines of these great estates with wine lovers in the U.S. in the manner that only Daniel and his team can achieve.”
During the week leading up to the main events on Saturday, May 3, Convivio del Vino will conduct a series of dinners and seminars with participating estates, highlighting not only legendary producers with historic family legacies, but also a new generation of exciting winemaking with an accent on progressive techniques in the vineyard and cellar. Then, Convivio’s Grand Tasting will feature all attending estates in a walkaround format, followed by the Convivio del Vino Gala Dinner, to which guests will be invited to bring Italian treasures from their cellars in the style of La Paulée to be enjoyed alongside wines from the producers with a tasting menu from renowned chefs. Wine service will be handled by a team of top sommeliers from across the United States.
To stay informed on Convivio del Vino, visit www.conviviodelvino.com. To learn more about La Paulée’s portfolio of events, festivals and offerings, visit:
www.lapaulee.com
www.lafeteduchampagne.com
www.latableenyc.com
www.pressoir.wine
La Paulée would like to thank the following sponsors of Convivio del Vino: American Express, Acker, Daniel Boulud, Glasvin, NetJets.
About La Paulée
Founded in 2000 by acclaimed sommelier Daniel Johnnes, La Paulée and its affiliated festivals and events – La Fête du Champagne, La Tablée, Convivio del Vino, and Pressoir – reflect the spirit and foundational philosophy that embodies a deep love for the culture and community surrounding wine. With a passionate mission to transport guests to the vibrant regions of France and Italy, including Burgundy, Champagne, the Rhône Valley, and beyond, the La Paulée team believes that unforgettable experiences happen when the best wines from the finest estates and most talented winemakers are brought together for wine enthusiasts to explore in a dynamic and generous setting. Through its four large annual wine festivals and Pressoir, which provides ongoing smaller-format programming and consulting, La Paulée leans on its team members’ decades of experience as sommeliers and event organizers to share its passionate vision of wine with the world.
About Jeffrey Porter
Originally from Texas, Jeff’s passion for wine started while at the University of Texas at Austin. He began his career at Central Market in Austin, Texas one of Austin’s premier wine destinations. After graduating, Jeff moved to California where he worked as a salesperson for a wholesaler in the San Francisco Bay Area but his passion for restaurants and service drew him further north. His sommelier career began in Napa Valley working at Tra Vigne Ristorante in St. Helena, California. He joined the Bastianich Hospitality Group in 2009 at Osteria Mozza under the auspice of James Beard Award winning chef Nancy Silverton. In 2011, he moved to New York City to become the wine director at Del Posto Ristorante, and in 2014 Jeffrey became the Beverage Operations Director of the entire company. In this role he oversaw the beverage programs for Babbo, Del Posto, Esca, Lupa, Otto, Babbo Pizzeria and others. In 2019 Jeff left the Bastianich group and began his consulting career and a web series about wine, life and culture called Sip Trip. Jeff’s consulting business took off quickly with Hometown BBQ, Red Hook Tavern and the brand new luxury hotel in the Barolo region Casa di Langa. Jeff helps his clients create beverage lists and service standards to entire programs of hospitality. In October of 2021, the Brooklyn Nets hired Jeff to oversee the beverage program at the Barclays Center to help usher in a new era in how wine is viewed in the sports entertaiment space. In August of 2022, Wine Enthusiast magazine invited Jeff to become a writer at large and the reviewer for Northern Italy. Apart from Jeff’s day job, he is a passionate advocate & practitioner of BBQ in all of its guises & glories, a father of a daughter and happy husband.
