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Finally, once again I’d like to invite all of you to join us at Bien
Nacido Vineyards at the end of the month for the Chardonnay Symposium
on Saturday July 31rst. Bien Nacido is the site for one of the
morning seminars featuring:

Chris Hammell, vineyard manager for Bien Nacido Vineyards
Jim Clendenen, winemaker for Au Bon Climat
Jeff Pisoni, winemaker for Pisoni Vineyards & Winery
Jeff Frey of Frey Farming
Adam Tolmach, winemaker for Ojai Vineyard
Jonathan Nagy, winemaker for Byron Vineyard & Winery
Steve Fennell, winemaker for Sanford Winery
Please visit the website for tickets and details. I hope to see you
there:

http://thechardonnaysymposium.com

Cheers,
Nicholas Miller

Tom: I'm already signed up. Get out the flamethrowers. Always wondered why zin, Rhones, pinot, temps, and now even sb in Oregon had their own events and not chard. Well,here it is. Many of these other gatherings (e.g. Viognier Guild) started as half day or full day seminars, then morphed into what we have now, 2-3 day tastings, dinners, etc.
I was going to post on this event next week, but here's the short version: if you do the full day ($100), you start at the fairgrounds in S Maria with a modest breakfast from Panera Bread, then go by bus (required) to either Bien Nacido or Cambria for the morning session, then to Byron for a picnic lunch, then to Tres Hermanas (sp?) on Foxen Rd for the grand tasting (2-5). Grand tasting tix are $40 (I think). Then you are bussed back to S Maria which is a really good policy.
If successful, I can see this expanding, especially with chard producers from around the world, say NZeal, Aussie, Europe, Chile. Lots of possibilities.
Full report when I get back.