The Nantucket Wine Festival is proud to announce a major shift in our symposia program. Due to popular demand for lunches to follow the symposia, we have decided to initiate a series of three great wine symposium/luncheon events at some of Nantucket's best addresses. The program will unfold with a one-hour symposium featuring 2-8 distinguished winemakers, who will lead a discussion of their wines with the assembled guests. Each of these events will be limited to 50-60 people, thus retaining the intimacy and scale that distinguishes our festival. Immediately after the symposium, the guests will be treated to a four-course luncheon of superb cuisine featuring the wines of the guest winemakers. All three luncheon symposia will take place on Friday, May 16th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The three events for 2008 are:

The Stars of Stags Leap (SYMP01)
Featuring the cuisine of Chef Gabriel Frasca. The winemakers/principals participating in this event (at Straight Wharf Restaurant, 6 Harbor Square) include:


Thomas Baldacci, Owner, Baldacci Winery
Jack Bittner, VP and General Manager, Cliff Lede
Jon Emmerich, Winemaker, Silverado
Hunt Patterson, Pine Ridge Winery
John Shafer, Owner, Shafer Vineyard
Janice Ilsley and Al Caravajal, Proprietors, Ilsley Vineyards
Rob Sinskey, Owner/Vintner, Robert Sinskey Vineyards
Allison Steltzner, Owner, Steltzner Vineyards
Sandy Carlson Taylor, President/Owner, Taylor Family Vineyards
Jason Trulby, Clos du Val
Josh Widaman, Winemaker, Chimney Rock
Stags' Leap Winery


Burgundy Master Class (SYMP02)
Featuring the cuisine of Chef Steven Polowy, of the Nantucket Golf Club. The winemakers/ principals participating in this event (at the Nantucket Golf Club, 250 Milestone Road, Siasconset) are:


Alex Gambal, Owner/Winemaker, Maison Alex Gambal
Comte Philippe Senard, Owner/Winemaker, Comte Philippe Senard
Philippe Prost, Winemaker, Bouchard Pere & Fils
Michel Anglada, Owner, Domaine Anglada/Deleger
Laurent Drouhin, Owner, Maison Joseph Drouhin


Soaring Wines of Spain (SYMP03)
Featuring the cuisine of Jean-Luc Matecat. An exploration of the wine world's new superstar, Spain. The winemakers/principals participating in this event (at Cinco, 5 Amelia Drive) are two of the stars of Plum TV's latest release Coming of Age (to be premiered during the Nantucket Wine Festival):


Adria Perez, Winemaker, Cims de Porrera
Jorge Ordonez, President/Founder, Fine Estates from Spain (recipient of Nantucket Wine Festival's first Luminary of the Year award)








Program is subject to change - More details to come - Please check this page again soon!