The 8th annual Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival
September 20 - 22, 2013
Rosecliff, The Elms & Marble House
Presenting Sponsor:
The Right Season, The Right Place, The Right Wines
Seminars
Travel around the world and visit the greatest wine-producing regions without leaving Newport by attending any of the multi-level seminars offered over the weekend. Led by industry experts, the sessions are designed for both the curious new wine drinkers and the most seasoned connoisseur.
All seminars are 60+ minutes in length, and take place at The Hyatt Regency Hotel in Newport.
Seminars are $40 each.
Weekend Seminar Schedule
Friday, September 20
12:30 p.m.
The Antinori Family's Interpretation of Sangiovese
With Niccolo Maltinti, U.S. Commercial Director and Brand Ambassador, Marchesi Antinori
Sponsored by 
The Antinori family is universally recognized for revolutionizing Italian winemaking with their innovative approach to producing Sangiovese at their Chianti Classico estate, Tignanello. The estate and its namesake wine represent everything that is Antinori: a rich history marked by tradition and a spirit of innovation, a love for the terroir, and an ongoing determination to perfect their Sangiovese vineyards and wines.
For 40 years, Marchesi Antinori has been experimenting with Sangiovese to achieve stylistic perfection from regional terroir, and this focused fascination motivated the family to develop Sangiovese wines at other important sites in Tuscany. These include the family's Badia a Passignano and Peppoli estates in Chianti Classico, Pian delle Vigne in Montalcino and La Braccesca in Montepulciano.
This seminar will offer a comprehensive tasting exploration of the Antinori family's affection for Sangiovese and showcase their iconic Sangiovese and Sangiovese-based wines from Tuscany.
2:30 p.m.
Wines of South Africa
South Africa is home to some of the oldest and most established vineyards in the Southern Hemisphere. A region older than Bordeaux and perhaps more diverse than any, South Africa is capable of producing syrahs that will rival any from Cornas or Cote Rotie in the Rhone of France. A region famous for inventing their own varietal, Pinotage, as well as being the home of the oldest Chenin Blanc in the world, and a recent explosion in rose and sparkling wines is a testament to the diversity of the country. There has been a recent upswing of young winemakers, who are exploring the vast and diverse micro-climates that make South Africa such a unique bounty of interesting wines.
4:30 p.m.
Wine 101
With Brian Smith, Chief Wine Officer, Club W
White wines are made with white grapes, this we know; red wines are made with red grapes, that's true. Pink wines? Made with pink grapes?? Not so fast! The vinous world of wine is a sexy and sometimes complicated place. So many grapes, so little time! Brian Smith, the Chief Wine Officer of Club W, will lead us through a tasting of different wines, made in different styles. Brian will give you some pointers on how to be an expert wine taster. He will offer insight on age-old wine questions like "How do they get all those tiny bubbles in the bottle?" or "What does balance mean?" and "What can I serve with cheese, BBQ, take out, or to my mother-in-law?" This seminar is a great way to get the most out of the tasting tent over the weekend.
Saturday, September 21
10:00 a.m.
Wines of Tuscany
With Lou Di Palo
Sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission
The Di Palo family is one of the greatest culinary ambassadors of Italy to the United States. Since the family opened the doors of Di Palo's in New York City in 1910, it has been the long pursuit of five generations to source and import the very best of what Italy has to offer. Still making annual pilgrimates to scour all of Italy's very best producers of food and wine, there is no one better equipped--or as much fun--to lead you through an afternoon tour of the gastronomy of Tuscany as Lou Di Palo. Join him in a full array tasting and bella vida experience of the most traditional and authentic cheeses, meats, olive oils and wines of his home region of Tuscany.
12:00 p.m.
Whiskey Camp
With
Jordan Mackay
"There is no bad whiskey," Raymond Chandler famously said. "There are only some whiskeys that aren't as good as others." Attendees of this seminar will only taste great whiskey, as our resident expert on all things distilled, Jordan Mackay, will lead you on a whiskey journey, exploring many of the places around the world that produce world-class whiskey. From Islay and Speyside Scotch to American bourbon, rye and beyond, you'll sharpen your whiskey palate as you taste exceptional examples and delve into the defining styles of the world's most iconic brown spirit.
Sunday, September 22
10:00 a.m.
Valtellina
Sponsored by the Italian Trade Commission
Italy is the land of many cultures, some wildly diverse and typically "non-Italian" by traditional definition. The Valtellia, high in the Italian Alps nestled along the border with Switzerland, is one of these magical places few know but most would find extraordinary. The food and wines of the region seem more Germanic than Italian, but the Lago District, and the high mountain vistas, make for some of the most striking inland views in all of Italy. The wines here are typically made with Nebbiolo, the varietal made popular by the neighbors to the south. You'll go through a tasting of these wines, and their unique characteristics borne from this unique land.
12:00 p.m.
The New Collectibles
With Jordan Mackay
"Collectible" is a word that, when applied to wine, defines so much of what turns so many people into obsessive seekers of the great bottles. It suggests rarity, minuscule production, distinction, uniqueness, refinement. Jordan Mackay, author of
Secrets of the Sommeliers, will convene a panel of international winemakers who are making wines that fit this definition. These new collectibles are wines in some cases made from unique grapes, made in a unique style, made in a far-off-the-beaten-path place, but in all cases are made in tiny quantities and with the utmost dedication to quality and detail.