The Institute of Masters of Wine launches Living Wine Symposium
The Institute of Masters of Wine today officially launched the Living Wine Symposium at the Ministry of Agriculture in Madrid. The Institute’s 9th International Symposium will be held in Logroño, the heart of the Rioja region of Spain, from 14 to 17 June 2018.
Held every four years, the Institute’s Symposium is an opportunity for the world of wine, in its widest sense, to join together to network, learn and taste the very best wine. Over 400 attendees will have the opportunity to mix with more than 100 Masters of Wine and top personalities in the wine world, both as speakers and delegates.
Each Symposium is held in a different location. Previous symposia have been held in Florence (2014), Bordeaux (2010), Napa (2006) and Vienna (2002). The 2018 Symposium will be co-sponsored by the Foundation for the Culture of Wine (La Fundación para la Cultura del Vino, FCV), an organisation devoted to expanding wine culture in Spain and beyond. Its board of trustees is made of five bodegas – Bodegas Muga, La Rioja Alta, S.A., Marqués de Riscal, Terras Gauda and Vega Sicilia, together with the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fish, Food and the Environment.
Speaking at the launch in Madrid today, the Minister, Isabel Garcia Tejerina said, ‘We are delighted that Spain won the bid for the Symposium 2018, which brings the fine wines of Spain to an international audience. We did not hesitate to support the initiative’.
Guillermo de Aranzabal, President of the FCV commented, ‘At the FCV we have a longstanding relationship with the IMW, supporting their work in Spain. This Symposium is a unique opportunity to showcase Spain’s finest wines to an exceptional audience. It will be remembered as a unique opportunity to raise the profile of our top wines internationally.’
Sarah Jane Evans MW, Chairman of the Symposium Steering Committee and former Chairman of the Institute said, ‘The Symposium will be the most significant event of 2018 for all of us who work in wine. It is entirely appropriate that Spain should be hosting it, because of the exceptional quality of its fine wine. This is a unique opportunity for Spain to welcome international wine experts and introduce them to the diversity of its regions and producers.’
Details of the Living Wine confirmed speakers and sessions will be published over the coming months. Tickets for Masters of Wine and Masters of Wine students are currently on sale. Tickets go on general sale for all other attendees on Friday 24 March 2017. For more information see: www.livingwine2018.com
ENDS
For more information contact:
Sarah Kirkpatrick
Head of Marketing, Communications and Membership
Institute of Masters of Wine
+44 (0)207 383 9131
skirkpatrick@mastersofwine.org