WineFuture Conference in Rioja - Nov 12-13 2009

Attending this symposium to see where this fascinating WineWorld is going.  Sitting in the Cool Dude Blogger's Ghetto, a small section of the huge brand new Rioja Forum conference center, which was designed with about 4 plugs for cleaning ladies instead of expecting digital commentators like us, so we're huddling around a lone power strip like cowboys around the campfire. Some of the presentations have been  far from cutting edge, and would have been better suited to a WinePast conference, but a number of Big Ideas have been emerging, and net-net I'm thoughroughly enjoying the experience.  The good news for Chene Bleu:  authentic wines, made sustainably with extreme care and commitment, should always have their place no matter how dire the Big Picture is.  Another comforting thought:   Robert Parker wishes that there were more branded wines in France, which I took to mean that he thinks, as we do, that independant wine producers should find our own way, try to make the best possible wine they can, and try to communicate directly with wine lovers who care about quality rather than the  narrow straightjacket of Appelation.  He's also a big fan of Grenache and thinks it's the next Big Thing, so that bodes well for our international Grenache Symposium in June!  (more on this later).   Jancis also has been particularly articulate and forward thinking about how more and more winelovers are bypassing the traditional critics circuits and going straight to the source to make up their own minds about who's serious about winemaking and who's not.      Food for thought.