From Wikipedia:
Symposium originally referred to a drinking party (the Greek verb sympotein means “to drink together”) but has since come to refer to any academic conference, or a style of university class characterized by an openly discursive format, rather than a lecture and question–answer format.
We hope to return the definition somewhat to its roots.
Natural Wine Week kicks off tomorrow night at Terroir. A schedule of events and venues can be found here.
The week will close with a symposium on Sunday, August 30th at Terroir. Start time is 2 pm, but get there a little early to snag a seat, enjoy a glass of wine and meet the panelists. Tickets for the symposium ($15) can be purchased directly through Arelquin Wine Merchant. Please call 415-863-1104 or email ian-at-arlequinwine-dot-com to purchase a ticket.
Meanwhile, some more information on the symposium’s participants:
Joe Dougherty (Moderator)
Joe Dougherty is a wine lover who lives in New York. In his remaining free time, he is an investment banker working to fund biotechnology companies. Before jumping the rails to Wall Street, he was a scientist for 20 years, with a few degrees in chemistry. He finds that his scientific training adds an interesting perspective on the wines that he drinks for pleasure, not just analysis.
Ted Lemon
Heidi and Ted Lemon founded Littorai Wines in 1992. Ted worked at many prestigious estates in Burgundy: Domaine Georges Roumier, Domaine Bruno Clair, Domaine Parent, Domaine De Villaine, Domaine Delorme and Domaine Dujac. He was the first American ever selected as winemaker/vineyard manager of a Burgundian estate, Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault, and remained in Burgundy through 1984. Since then, he has been consultant to a number of prominent wineries: Franciscan Estates, Clos Pegase, Green and Red Vineyard, Reverie, Howell Mountain Vineyards, Archery Summit Winery in Oregon, Burn Cottage Vineyard in Cromwell, New Zealand and many more. Since 1993 Littorai has grown from 300 cases to 5,000 cases split between 8 different vineyard designations.
In the late 1990s, after more than 15 years of conventional farming, Ted became convinced that that modern western agronomic theory is both unsustainable and inadequate in its conception of plant health and nutrition. Since that time all of the vineyards which Littorai Wines owns or leases are farmed using biodynamic methods.
Kevin McKenna
Kevin McKenna is the unpronounced partner of Louis/Dressner Selections, wine importers based in New York City. For the past 15 years, they have championed hand-harvested, indigenous yeast-fermented wines before the term “Natural Wines” was coined. Previous to this, he received his graduate degree in Rome, and for 4 years was the wine buyer for a noted retailer in Manhattan during the Mesozoic period of wine appreciation. He’s had the wine bug for 30 years.
Guilhaume Gerard
Guilhaume Gerard is one third of Terroir Natural Wine Merchant in San Francisco, one of the very few shops focusing solely on “natural wines”. He’s also a serious wine drinker, an avid record collector and a retired subway graffiti writer.
Lou Amdur
Lou Amdur runs Lou wine bar in Hollywood. Both Lou the man and Lou the bar favor natural winegrowing, indigenous grape varieties, native yeasts, dry farming, and the characterful wines produced by old vines. Like many of the best things in LA, Lou is situated in a very classy strip mall on Vine Street.
Wolfgang Weber
Wolfgang Weber is a senior editor and critic at Wine & Spirits Magazine. He often reports on interesting wines from Italy and California made with native yeasts, ancient grape varieties and unusual fermentation vessels. He’s unsure about the use of the phrase ‘natrual wine’ and hopes that it’s possible to find a different phrase that’s less easily co-opted for marketing purposes and yet remains understandable.
