The First Old Vine Conference
An important moment
We had an incredible response to the first Old Vine Conference. We had over five hundred guests from more than twenty countries, twenty-one (and counting) pieces of coverage, and (in the two weeks since) hundreds of emails from old vine champions all over the world.
These articles, from trade and consumer press, show the unifying power of old vine heritage. They show that old-vine heritage is not just for wine geeks and viticulturists. The symbolism and connection of heritage old vineyards touches and engage wine consumers, too.
This coverage highlights the importance of changing the market dynamics of great old vineyards. These writers shared the rebuttal to conventional wisdom that farming old vines means accepting unprofitably low yields – as our speakers explained, it doesn’t.
The perennial vine roots wine in place, culture and people more deeply than any other beverage. These articles show how powerful – yes, transcendent - that is.
Tim Atkin MW for Harpers Wine and Spirit, “Valuing our old vines”
“Profitability was one of the key themes of the inaugural Old Vine Conference, organised by Sarah Abbott MW. Over two sessions, we heard from winemakers, viticulturists and investors in Italy, Lebanon, Portugal, Spain, South Africa and the US about how they are nurturing, promoting, selling and keeping old vines in the ground. Six hundred people from 20 countries watched live; many more have caught up online. You never really know at the time, but it felt like an important moment, a forum where people recognised the value of old vines and decided to do something to preserve them.”
Read Tim’s article here.
David Williams in The Wine Merchant, “No shame in hugging an old vine.”
“… there is an important emotional component to our relationship with old vines, and that we shouldn’t be embarrassed to admit it’s part of what drives us to seek out wines made from them – or to set up schemes to try and map, catalogue and protect the world’s old-vine heritage…That’s certainly my response to the Old Vine Conference…But there was more to it than the merely functional or transactional. As the event’s organisers put it, the wines made from old vines are not just special, delicious, deeply flavoured and balanced. Like our relationship with trees and the vines themselves, those wines can be nothing short of “transcendental.”
Read David’s article here.
Tamlyn Currin for jancisrobinson.com, “Old Vine Conference – chimeric or critical?”
“Why do old vines matter?
How do we protect them?
Prior to the conference, I’d have answered the first question with a very quick, ‘of course they matter’, and would have fumbled on the why. But in my discussion with Sarah [Abbott], and as I listened to the various speakers, the single thing that pressed on me more than anything else was this: saving old vines is not a romantic endeavour, it is addressing a planetary crisis. It’s a question of sustainability, pure and simple.”
Read Tamlyn’s article here (subscription required).
Jancis Robinson, in the Financial Times, “Old vines give rise to classic wines.”
“Some of the most interesting wines in the world are made from particularly old vines. A new UK initiative, the Old Vine Conference, is dedicated to keeping those vines in the ground.”
Read the full article here (subscription may be required).
Victoria Moore, in The Telegraph, “Why wines made from old vines really do taste better.”
“…significance isn’t particularly well-understood by drinkers, but old vines are a hot topic in wine circles; a recent webinar on old vines attracted over 700 delegates from all over the world, who gathered to hear winemakers from Lebanon, Spain, South Africa and elsewhere talk about their experience of working with old vines and how best to protect these botanical treasures.”
Read Victoria’s article here (subscription may be required).
You can keep track on our coverage and social media reach at our online press report.
This first month has been about getting old vines onto the agenda. Our next steps are to work with Jancis Robinson MW to expand her pioneering Old Vine Register, and to bring stakeholders together for tastings that establish the unique qualities of old vine wine.
