Recap: day four of the symposium
This month, we will be looking back at the daily events of the recent international symposium which was held in Wiesbaden June 29 – July 2. The symposium was hosted by the Federal State of Hessen, Deutsches Weininstitut (DWI) and Wiesbaden Congress and Marketing.
After an evening of wine, food and networking at the gala evening, the final day of the symposium began with exclusive research presented by Steve Charters MW and later discussed with Caroline Hermann MW. The research encompassed the differences between different consumers’ sustainability experience dependent on their global and cultural contexts.
Left to right: Caroline Hermann MW and Steve Charters MW (Credit: Arne Landwehr)
The session was promptly followed by a highly anticipated tasting, old and rare: important decades in wine history. During this tasting, delegates tasted wines from seven different decades from Taylor’s, Schloss Johannisberg, Gonzales Byass, Marchesi Antinori, Ridge Vineyards (video appearance), Tyrrell’s, Zuccardi Wines (video appearance) and Gusbourne Estates. This was a rare opportunity for symposium delegates to taste iconic wines; the Gonzales Byass Anada Oloroso was bottled especially for the occasion, with Antonio Flores appearing via video.
Left to right: Charlie Holland (Gusbourne Wines), Bruce Tyrrell (Tyrrell’s Wines), Albiera Antinori (Marchesi Antinori), Stefan Doktor (Schloss Johannisberg), Adrian Bridge (Taylor’s Port) and Harry Eyres (Credit: Arne Landwehr)
To mark the end of this jam-packed and invigorating symposium, we heard from Dr. Laura Catena, who was our closing keynote speaker. Laura shared her message of conscious consumption, sustainability in the industry and ultimately, the future of wine.
Dr. Laura Catena (Credit: Arne Landwehr)
In true symposium fashion, the next host of the symposium was also announced. Adelaide will be the host of the 11th international symposium in 2026. The news was supported by words from David Ridgway, Agent General of South Australia, and Laura Jewell MW and Emma Symington MW, representatives of Wine Australia. Celebrations ensued with a taste of over 30 wines from Australia served over a farewell lunch.
Left to right: Julian Gore-Booth (IMW Executive Director), Emma Symington MW and Laura Jewell MW (Wine Australia) and David Ridgway (Agent General for South Australian Government)
Want to find out more about the speakers at the event? You can see all speaker biographies on the symposium website. See what wines were tasted in our digital tasting booklet, provided by Bottlebooks. Keep up to date with symposium news and other IMW events by following us on socials: @mastersofwine. Join our mailing list to be the first to find out about new events and latest news.