The Hunter Valley will stand in a global spotlight in October as it hosts a wine event never held outside the US and Canada.
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The 2019 International Wine Media Conference will feature three days of tastings, lunches, dinners, vineyard and winery tours and discussions on such topics as global warming, marijuana legalisation, the craft beer and craft spirits boom, health effects of alcohol and the future of wine.
There are expected be up to 200 attendees and 80 international representatives have already registered.
Founded in the US in 2008 as the Wine Bloggers' Conference, it focused on bloggers, but now also includes writers and social media influencers who write, photograph and video about wine and the wine industry.
The organisers say the 12th annual conference coming to the Hunter from October 10 to 12 will be the largest-ever international gathering of wine media.
Staged by Zephyr Conferences, the Australian event was initiated by the Wine Communicators Australia (WCA) wine professionals group and Wine Australia with sponsorships from the Pernod Ricard wine company and the Royal Agriculture Society of NSW.
Registrations can be lodged and further details obtained on winemediaconference.org.
The conference will largely centre on Crown Plaza Hunter Valley, but between October 7 and 9 there will be a conventioneers' pre-conference excursion to Queensland's Granite Belt wine region.
On Thursday, October 10, the Hunter program will begin with wine tasting expos and the official opening by WCA executive officer Lynda Schenk and the president of Zephyr Conferences Allan Wright and an opening address and welcome by James Halliday.
On Friday, October 11, there will be discussions and tastings including a "speed dating for wine" session.
That night attendees will form six smaller groups for Hunter wine dinner excursions that include a Briar Ridge Vineyard, Carillion Wines and Bistro Molines Magic of Mount View program.
Other events include Masterclasses at The Wine House with five leading Hunter boutique winemakers - The Little Wine Co, Silkman Wines, Andrew Thomas, David Hook and Hart and Hunter; A Mystery Vineyard Tour and wine tastings staged by Mount Pleasant, Brokenwood, De Iuliis and Margan Family Wines. Saturday October 12's program includes a discussion on and tasting of Sydney Wine Show prize-winning wines hosted by chair of judges PJ Charteris.
WINE REVIEWS
OUR CLASSICS ON SHOW
International Media Conference goers will get to know classic Hunter shiraz, semillon and chardonnay wines like this fine-value, light gold, melon-scented Tyrrell's 2018 Chardonnay. It has lovely nectarine front-palate flavour, middle-palate lemon curd, mineral, spice and cashew oak and a flinty acid finish. at tyrrells.com.au and winery.
PRICE: $25.
DRINK WITH: tapas.
AGEING: eight years.
RATING: 5 stars
Stockhausen Semillon
the Briar Ridge 2018 Stockhausen Signature Semillon is green-tinted straw and displays ginger blossom scents and crisp, elegant front-palate flavour. The middle palate has nashi pear, sherbet and nascent honey and toast characters and the finish slatey acid. It's at the Mount View Rd, Mount View, cellar door and briarridge.com.au.
PRICE: $28.
DRINK WITH: seafood crepes.
AGEING: seven years.
RATING: 5 stars
TWO-UP GOES KINDLY
THIS Andrew Thomas 2017 Two of a Kind Shiraz is a 60%-40% Hunter-McLaren Vale blend with 14.5% alcohol, purple hues, gamey scents and vibrant plum front-palate flavour. The middle palate shows Morello cherry, briar, cloves and vanillin oak and the finish peppery tannins. It's at thomaswines.com.au and the Mistletoe Lane cellar door.
PRICE: $25.
DRINK WITH: apricot pork.
AGEING: eight years.
RATING: 5 stars