Taste is a subjective experience uniquely informed by how we live, where we dwell, what we believe in. When we draw our awareness to the act of wine tasting, we are practicing a form of mindfulness: slowing down and noticing the finer details perceived through our senses while observing what happens in response.

This intentional method of tasting connects us to the present moment, focuses attention and opens our minds to new information. With practice, it has the power to expand perception, deepen appreciation and enhance pleasure.

Likewise, wine character is affected not only by where it’s grown, how it’s farmed and when it’s picked, but also by who makes it, where they’re from and what they believe in. Sustainable winegrowing has been broadly embraced around the world, and especially in California – the fourth largest wine producing region in the world – where more than 80% of the wine is made in a Certified California Sustainable Winery and over half of the acreage is certified sustainable, organic or biodynamic.

Advanced sommelier and wellness professional, Chiara Rose Shannon, will lead the audience through a tasting of three sustainably-produced wines using her signature Taste with Intention™ technique. The act of conscientiously tasting wine will set the framework for a conversation between Chiara and sustainable winegrowing champion Allison Jordan addressing how these wines are made with purpose beyond the product itself – conserving natural resources, protecting the environment, enriching the lives of employees and neighbors, and safeguarding family farms and businesses, today and for generations to come.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn to Taste with Intention™ - a series of uniquely sequenced actions and intentions to calm the mind, deepen awareness and enhance appreciation during wine tasting.
2. Gain a better understanding of sustainable, organic, biodynamic, and regenerative approaches to winegrowing and winemaking, and how the trade can support these efforts.
3. Reflect on how best to communicate sustainability to consumers.