FRIDAY 20TH OCTOBER 2023: 10am-2pm BST
10.00-10:10 Welcome, review and today’s timetable
10.10-10.45 AUSTRALIA - Mount Pleasant: the birthplace of Australia’s very own Pinot Noir clone.
Nick Cooper, Vineyard Manager at Mount Pleasant will present the findings of the 1921 Homestead Pinot Noir clonal results from the AWRI (Australian Wine Research Institute). Nick will explain how it's believed Pinot Noir arrived in Australia, how the Mount Pleasant Pinot plantings came to be. What happened with cuttings taken to the Griffith Research station. The birth of the MV6 clone: where anecdote meets genomics. And the Australian wines that MV6 makes.
10.45-11.00 Q&A with the winner of the IWSC Old Vine Trophy 2023, hosted by Brad Horne, @winetimelondon
The IWSC Old Vine Trophy 2023 will be announced on the 19th October at their award ceremony in London. The winner is invited to be interviewed about their work with old vines and what it means to them to have won this prestigious Trophy
11.05-11.45 FRANCE - How Plaimont became the leading light of the old vine movement in France
In this Q&A session Sarah Abbott MW will interview Olivier Bourdet Pees, Managing Director and Head Winemaker of Plaimont, one of France’s top cooperatives and dig deep into how it became the leading light of the country's old vine movement. Olivier will reveal how Plaimont became the only winery in France to have an old vineyard, located in Saint-Mont AOP, classified as a National Monument, how the cooperative has re introduced plantings of old local varieties that have fallen out of use and used their genetic material to propagate new vineyards. He will also explain why they're conducting research into wild vinifera plants they’ve found in Gascony and the Pyrenean Piemont and what they've discovered about them so far.
11:50-12:15 SOUTH AFRICA - Reassessing viticulture through old vines: where past and present meets to innovate for a sustainable future presented by Rosa Kruger, Founder & Chairperson, The Old Vine Project
Join Rosa Kruger on a journey with the Old Vine Project of South Africa. Delve into the history of where old vine sites in South Africa were identified and how the Old Vine Project brought these historical vineyards to life commercially, and helped to shape a new and dynamic wine category. Learn how these old vines provide a sustainable contribution to the South African wine industry, including how collaborative research with two major universities in South Africa is changing how we grow and manage old vine vineyards. See how the Old Vine Projects’ watchwords of ‘Plant to grow old’ demonstrates the pathway that they are advocating for the creation of a sustainable future for viticulture in South Africa in the face of global market and climatic challenges. Be amongst the first to learn about a call to action to further international research of old vines.
12.20 – 13.00 ITALY - Panel debate: Industry discussion on the Italian old vine movement
Sarah Abbott MW will explore how Italy is a ‘hot spot’ for the preservation of old vines and ancient varieties in Europe, with very fine and acclaimed wines being made by leading producers. She will discuss the continued threat to this aspect of wine heritage, and the work being done to nurture it with a panel of three old vine wine producers: Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of San Leonardo, Martina Centa of Cantina Roeno and Salvino Benanti of Benanti Viticoltori. Together they will address the similarities and differences of their old vine projects, summarise the key themes emerging, and highlight how the old vine heritage of Italy can be further promoted and protected.
13.05 – 13.30 GLOBAL - Why vines grow old: lessons from the past for the present, hosted by Dr Dylan Grigg
Grapevines of any age wear the marks of time on their structure and wood where scars are evidence of both growth and decay. Looking closely at these old vines and vineyards can tell a story. In reality where they are now was most likely not the intention of the person that planted them sometimes several generations ago. These vines were planted to be productive and strong and they have survived where many around them did not. What reasons are there that some vineyards grow old and others do not? Can we identify this and plan now to plant vineyards that will exist 100 years from now.
13.35 – 13.50 CALIFORNIA - An introduction to Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, with Rebecca Robinson
13.50 - 14.00 Closing remarks, final questions
* Timings and schedules are subject to change, please check back regularly *
