Program & Speakers
The Old Vine Conference no. 3
1st & 2nd Dec 2021
The aim
The third edition of The Old Vine Conference explored how the wine industry can work to halt the loss of old vines by taking practical steps to create a new category of heritage vineyard wine.
Hosted by Tim Atkin MW, Jane Anson, and Sarah Abbott MW, The Old Vine Conference 3 included speakers from South America, Europe and Australia.
12:00-15:000 GMT via Zoom
Hosted by Tim Atkin MW
10:00-13:00 GMT via Zoom
Hosted by Jane Anson
The sessions explored why old vine heritage is under threat, why we should care, and how to go about raising the value of old vineyards from grower to consumer.
The Old Vine Conference is a non-profit organisation founded to bring together a global network and create a new category for wine from heritage vineyards. Conferences are free to attend and we are funded through the incredible support of sponsors, members and events. Find out more about us, our sponsors, and previous conferences here.
The context
Speakers at The Old Vine Conferences are winemakers, viticulturists, journalists and wine traders. From scientists in academia, to leaders of global businesses, to hands-on grower-winemakers, they share a conviction and message: that old vine heritage is a precious and endangered resource that must be valued and protected.
The first edition of The Old Vine Conference started the conversation about why old vineyards matter. Why they are uniquely critical to the quality and heritage of wine. We learned how pioneer producers and collectives have successfully leveraged their old-vine heritage to increase demand and profitability, and differentiate their wines and region.
The second edition established the genetic value of old vines beyond their (and our) lifetimes. Scientists from Australia and France explained how the genetic diversity carried in old vineyards is essential to the resilience and greatness of wine.
Following these first two conferences, we have established a global network of Old Vine Ambassadors, attracted the support of sponsors from across industry, and built a growing membership of individuals who are helping to nurture heritage vineyards across the world.
The inspirational and unifying power of approaching wine through the lens of old vine heritage is reflected in the incredible coverage generated from previous Old Vine Conferences.
Old Vine Conference #3 Participants
1st December
Day 1
12pm to 3pm GMT
Derek Mossman Knapp, Chile
Founder and winemaker at Garage Wine Company, and co-founder of Vigno, the collective for old-vine Carignan in Maule, Chile. Derek will talk with Tim Atkin MW about the transformative effect of old vine heritage to the quality and aspiration of Chilean wines, and how the forming of Maule Old-Vine Carignan Collective, Vigno, has elevated both wine quality and farming communities.
Guillermo Barbier, De Angeles, Argentina
Owner at De Angeles winery and “guardian angel” of viticultural heritage in Mendoza, Guillermo has championed the ancient own-rooted old vines of Vistalba to critical acclaim and commercial success. Guillermo will talk to Tim about how he moved from selling old-vine grapes to making site-specific cuvées of his 1924 old vineyards.
Juan Carlos Sancha, Rioja, Spain
Wine-maker and scientist Juan Carlos Sancha is a prominent advocate for the value of heritage varieties and old vines in Rioja. In addition to his work as a professor of oenology and viticulture, he makes acclaimed wines in Rioja Alta. Juan Carlos will talk about the viticultural challenges and benefits of old vines and varieties, and why he thinks they should be valued and protected in Rioja.
2nd December
Day 2
10am-1pm GMT
Amanda Longworth and colleagues, Barossa Grape and Wine Association
The Barossa has made the moving story of its old vine heritage and vine-planting settlers a defining aspect of its regional identity. The establishment of the Barossa Old Vine Charter in 2009 captured the support of producers and the imagination of importers, and educators. We will hear about the origins of old vines in Barossa, how the movement grew, and the rewards of their Old Vine Charter for their producers and region.
Andrew Margan, Hunter Valley, Australia
Based in the oldest wine region in Australia, Andrew Margan’s commitment to agricultural and environmental sustainability is reflected in his approach to old vine heritage. As well as making wines from selected old-vine plots, he has sought out the genetic diversity and resilience he believes are to be found in old vines. Margan’s BC4 Shiraz is made from a 50-year old vineyard that Margan grafted over with buds taken from even older heritage vineyards in Pokolbin, with acclaimed results. This emerging category of ‘heritage cuttings’ is another aspect of the value of old vines.
Antonio Capaldo, Campania, Italy
Now heading up his family winery Feudi di San Gregorio in Campania, Antonio’s first career was in global finance and strategy with Lazards and McKinsey. He has come to see old vine heritage as critical for his family winery, and for premium Italian wine. Mindful of the challenges of collective activity and implementing global standards, he sees a grassroots ‘network effect’ emerging among the advocates for Old Vine Heritage that can be harnessed to create a new type of global wine category. Feudi di San Gregorio is a founding sponsor of the Old Vine Conference.
Jean-Marc Lafage, Roussillon, France
Best known today for his transformational development of Domaine Lafage and Château Saint Roch, Jean-Marc is a noted oenologist and researcher with global experience and perspective. He successfully forged a new vocation for the endangered old vines of Roussillon, as the demand for its traditional sweet wine dwindled. His dry red wines from old-vine Grenache are universally acclaimed, and he has shown how old vineyards can remain at the heart of a thriving, globally exported wine business. His insights on the fundamental genetic value of old vines and varieties are informed by his work with the viticultural research organisation INRA.
