For the second year in a row the Society of Wine Educators Conference was on the East Coast. Last year it was Washington DC and this year's conference (#35) was in Providence, Rhode Island (technically the site of the conference- the Crown Plaza Hotel is in Warwick, RI). Last year I went by train; this year I drove from NYC in a bit over three hours. There were over 250 attendees and it was great to visit with old wine friends that I do not normally see during the year.I arrived in time for the opening luncheon and seminar sponsored by Wines of Portugal. The guest chef was from Lisbon and the presenters represented Women Winemakers and the regions of Porto and Madeira. At this point it got tricky for me. There were 3, 4 or 5 seminars scheduled at the same time and it was very difficult to choose. My first seminar was entitled “Taste, Flavor and the Unique Power of Scent" with Rachel S. Hertz, PH.D, discussing aroma and smell. I did not attend sessions dealing with Champagne, German wines or the wines of Southwest France and I also missed my favorite all time speaker Kevin Zraly.There was a break before my next session and I went to listen to Eric Orange, the CEO (and old friend) of LocalWineEvents.com. Having been to Chianti Classico a few months ago I choose that tasting, led by Michael A. Schaefer, rather than Scotch Whisky, the Wines of Greece, wine and cheese pairings and wines from volcanic sites. The first night's gala was Creative Cocktails with demonstrations, food and top spirit professionals. It was good to see Jonathan Pogash mixing cocktails made with Ferrand Cognac.Day two started with a continental breakfast and my first session was Terroir in a Teapot. Michael Harney, the CEO of Harney Tea, had lectured at my spirits class at Fairleigh Dickinson University last semester and converted me to a tea drinker. The other session included: Using Turning Point response systems with PowerPoint, Talking to Millennials, Teaching taste and the use of sauces as flavoring agents. Next I chose Rules of Engagement with Jane Nickles because I loved her seminar last year in Washington DC. She spoke of presentation as the most important business communication tool. My other choices would have been: Rhum Clement, a discussion of alcohol consumption and metabolism or climate changes in the glass. After lunch I choose Wine Communicators with Harriet Lembeck leading a panel that included Florence Fabricant (NYTimes), Tyler Coleman (Dr. Vino) and Gloria Maroti Frazee (Wine Spectator). I knew three of the participants but had to miss Blanc de Blancs Champagne, the Ancient Wine Trail in Italy, Pisoni Pinot Noirs and the Synergies between the kitchen and the bar. My next afternoon session was After Dinner Drinks. Other offerings at the same time included: Wine, Bread & Cheese, New Italian wine regulations and Chilean wines. My last afternoon tasting was The Legend of Sassicaia. There were 3 other choices: Rioja & Ribero del Dureo, Alexander Valley Cabernets and the Wines of Canada.That night we were bussed to Johnson & Wales University for a tour of the Culinary Arts Center and a food and wine tasting: Wines of the World. I spent most of the evening in the Culinary Museum fascinated by the displays (as well as fabulous food and wine). My last day started with the seminar Alternative Approaches for the Traditional Wine Education. I could have chosen Riesling in Two Different Hemispheres, a beer tasting or Interpreting, Analyzing and Evaluating Wine Quality. My session before lunch was Euro Rules about the new EU wine classifications with Mary Gorman. She could have written a PH.D thesis based on all the information she has collected. Other choices were New Zealand Wines, Terroir and Right Bank Bordeaux. I had to get back to NYC so I left right after the Wines of South African luncheon. Had I stayed I would have gone to: Lafite Around the World, Pairing Port and the Iron Sommelier Competition. My last event would have been the Rediscover Rhode Island Gala.All in all I think I made the correct session choices for myself. I made the trip to educate myself and that was certainly accomplished. Over 50 years in the wine field and I am still learning. That is why I recommend the SWE Conference for wine and spirit professionals no matter what their level of expertise. For More Information- www.societyofwineeducators.org
