The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers

Directions Website

The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers A place to speak, listen, debate, explore themes prevalent in contemporary wine writing and network w

Our next virtual roundtable is just around the corner. Join the W**e Writers' Symposium for our final virtual roundtable...
09/03/2026

Our next virtual roundtable is just around the corner. Join the W**e Writers' Symposium for our final virtual roundtable of the year on October 6th from 9-10:30 a.m. PST.

Our upcoming virtual roundtable is an adaptation of a popular session from our 2024 in-person symposium. "Making It All Work" addresses the challenges and opportunities of freelancing and managing oneself as a business. There's no rulebook when it comes to balancing multiple roles in the w**e writing world, so this panel will explore both strategies for and the ethics of making it work as a w**e writer.

This session is free and open to the public but registration is required. Perfect for w**e communicators and writers, or those curious about entering the field.

Register with the link in bio.

This concludes our 2026 W**e Writers' Symposium. Congratulations to our fellows and thank you to our speakers! Cheers to...
03/02/2026

This concludes our 2026 W**e Writers' Symposium. Congratulations to our fellows and thank you to our speakers! Cheers to a successful program that created lifelong connections ❤️

For announcements about upcoming programming, subscribe to our newsletter!

Founding partners: and

Photo by

Whether our fellows arrived leaning more “left brain” or “right brain,” toward art or toward science, last week revealed...
03/02/2026

Whether our fellows arrived leaning more “left brain” or “right brain,” toward art or toward science, last week revealed that a truly connected community intersects both.

Writing can be solitary. Much of the craft happens quietly in the margins of daily life. But last week, we gathered to learn from one another, ask hard questions, introduce ideas, take notes, and challenge each other thoughtfully.

Connection restores purpose. And in gathering writers across disciplines, styles, and perspectives, we strengthen the collective voice of w**e storytelling.

Photography by

John Brecher's phenomenal closing keynote answered the question our program asked: If w**e were only art or only science...
02/28/2026

John Brecher's phenomenal closing keynote answered the question our program asked: If w**e were only art or only science, what would be lost?

He left us with much to consider as the program concluded:
-W**e is the narrative device.
-There is an art to writing and science to listening, and you have to do both.
-Seeing the story that has not been seen will always be art.
-If you're going to write, your first charge is to tell the truth.
-Truth will change the conversation.

Thank you for an incredible finale, ❤️

Photography by

The Science and Art of Natural CorksThe Symposium's president, Kelli White, interviewed one of this year's sponsors, Pat...
02/28/2026

The Science and Art of Natural Corks

The Symposium's president, Kelli White, interviewed one of this year's sponsors, Patrick Spencer of the Natural Cork Council, on the long culture of Portuguese oak tree cultivation, natural cork's environmental advantages, and recent scientific advances.

Thank you, !

Photo 1 by
Photo 2 by

As fellows and speakers prepared to return to their day-to-day, this interactive panel reflected on key lessons from the...
02/28/2026

As fellows and speakers prepared to return to their day-to-day, this interactive panel reflected on key lessons from the Symposium by asking themselves “what’s next?”

Samantha Cole-Johnson, Jessica Dupuy, Clive Pursehouse, moderated by Wanda Mann

Our final day of the Symposium revisited the prompt that fellows were given for their applications: if w**e were only ar...
02/28/2026

Our final day of the Symposium revisited the prompt that fellows were given for their applications: if w**e were only art or only science, what would be lost?

Photo by

Our casual farewell dinner took place at a Napa Valley icon - Gott's Roadside. No visit to the valley is complete withou...
02/27/2026

Our casual farewell dinner took place at a Napa Valley icon - Gott's Roadside. No visit to the valley is complete without a Gotts burger (or other classic fare), so we had to share this gem with everyone at the Symposium alongside vintners showcasing some of the less common varieties of Napa Valley.

Using the idyllic Continuum estate as a backdrop, congenial expert Professor Alex Maltman delivered a mini-masterclass o...
02/27/2026

Using the idyllic Continuum estate as a backdrop, congenial expert Professor Alex Maltman delivered a mini-masterclass on the science and ways in which rocks, soils, and vines interact. The elements of our outdoor afternoon only further emphasized the processes explained, and we would brave them again to learn more. Maltman's delivery of this complex topic was itself a valuable example of translating technical information for a non-technical audience.

Photography by and (2,3,4,6)

Writers' Workshop - Pitching the TechnicalBuilding off of the earlier panel, this hands-on workshop guided writers turni...
02/26/2026

Writers' Workshop - Pitching the Technical
Building off of the earlier panel, this hands-on workshop guided writers turning technical knowledge into strong, targeted story pitches. Through a pitch exercise, fellows practiced shaping ideas for different audiences, tailoring pitches to specific audiences and publications, and clarifying why they are the right voice to tell the story.

Facilitated by Stacy Briscoe, Mary-Frances Heck, and Stacy Ladenburger

Photography by

Address

900 Meadowood Lane
Saint Helena, CA
94574

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Symposium for Professional Wine Writers posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category