Program Description and Daily Schedule

The Steamboat Pinot Noir Conference began in 1980 as a means of "Improving the Breed." Like the wine, this memorable event continues to evolve and flourish. Our mission is as relevant today as it was when the Conference commenced:

SCHEDULE

Sunday, July 19

Check in, 3:00pm - 4:30pm You will be instructed to your lodging accommodations, as well as to the positioning of your wines for the various tastings. Please allow yourself sufficient time to get settled in and orient yourself to the beautiful natural setting of the Inn. Be ready to sit down promptly at 5:00pm in the Steamboat Library for the first tasting.

Inspired Pinots, 4:30pm - 7:00pm Please bring x3 bottles of one Pinot noir from anywhere in the world, any terroir, any vintage, that inspires you, a wine that you find particularly compelling, or strikingly representative of a particular terroir, or representative of a farming style or winemaking technique that you are focused on or curious about. Please study up on the wine that you are bringing--know something about it, the vineyard, the winemaker's intent, etc--as you will be asked to announce why you brought the wine; and while you won't have more than a few minutes to talk about why you brought the wine, the dinner immediately following this tasting will serve as an opportunity to continue the discussion with your colleagues.

Hors d'oeuvres and Happy hour on the lawn, 7:00pm - 7:30pm

Dinner, 7:30pm-

Monday, July 20 & Tuesday, July 21

Breakfast, 7:00am - 8:30am

2019 Technical tasting, 9:00am - 12:00pm, Following breakfast on Monday and Tuesday mornings, we will blind taste one unfinished Pinot Noir from each attending winery. These barrel or tank samples should be from the 2019 vintage for Northern Hemisphere producers and either the 2019 or 2020 vintage for Southern Hemisphere producers. Each attending winery is expected to bring one wine in this category (x3 bottles). The morning tastings begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. and usually runs to 12:00 p.m., followed by lunch.

Lunch, 12:00pm - 1:00pm

Afternoon break, 1:00pm - 4:30pm, Recreational opportunites abound: nearby waterfalls, hotsprings and swimming holes; riverside hiking and mountain-biking trails; world-class steelhead and trout fly fishing

2016 Retrospective tasting, 4:30pm - 6:30pm, Before dinner, we will blind taste Pinot noir from the 2016 vintage and winemakers and vineyard representatives will have a few minutes to discuss the wine with the group. Please bring x3 bottles of a 2016 Pinot noir to share.

Hors d'oeuvres and Happy hour on the lawn, 6:30pm - 7:30pm, Feel free to bring white, rose and bubbly to share with friends and colleagues.

DINNER, 7:30pm-

Wednesday, July 22

Light continental breakfast, 7:00am - 9:00am

(Library) Reflections on the Conference. Lessons learned. How do we improve? 9:30am - 10:30am

Champagne Brunch, 10:30am - 12:00pm

Check out, 11:00am, Please have all of your belongings out of your room no later than 11:00am

Conference CONCLUDES, 12:00pm