Session 1
9:00 am – 9:45 am
Creating Maryland’s Wine Identity
The history of Maryland wine from the 1940s to the present, which grapes grow well here and where, and what styles of wine are prospering.

Moderator: Richard Leahy, author, Beyond Jefferson’s Vines.
Panelists: Marguerite Thomas, author, Touring East Coast Wine Country; Robert Deford, owner, Boordy Vineyards; Dr. Joe Fiola, Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University of Maryland.

Session 2
10:00 am – 10:45 am
Drinking Local
Does locavore mean locapour? Do Marylanders appreciate their home-grown wine, and if not, how to get the message out.

Moderator: Dave McIntyre, Washington Post wine columnist, Drink Local Wine co-founder.
Panelists: Jerry Pellegrino, chef, Waterfront Kitchen; Jade Ostner, Director of Events, Maryland Wineries Association; Al Spoler, co-host, Cellar Notes/Radio Kitchen, WYPR Radio.

Session 3
11:00 – 11:45 am
Maryland’s New Guard
Who is setting the quality standard for Maryland wine today? What new grapes, trends or wine regions will we be following in the years to come?

Moderator: Kevin Atticks, executive director, Maryland Wineries Association.
Panelists: Ed Boyce, founder, Black Ankle Vineyards; Tom Shelton, owner and winemaker, Bordeleau Vineyards & Winery; Dave Collins, co-owner, Big Cork Vineyards.

An elegant lunch using fresh, local Maryland ingredients paired with select Maryland wines will follow the morning sessions.

“I’m quite pleased with the subject and quality of the panel discussions we’ve created,” said Dave McIntyre, Washington Post wine columnist, Drink Local Wine co-founder.  “Maryland is shaping up to be our best conference yet, and I believe that it will further demonstrate that regional wines deserve their time in the spotlight.”

Registration for the full conference is $125 and includes a continental breakfast; entry to all sessions; lunch with paired tasting of Maryland wine; and the Grand Tasting of Maryland Wines and Twitter Taste-off. Tickets are also available for the Grand Tasting only for $40.

Those interested in attending the conference may visit http://www.marylandwine.org/dlwc13 to register and find out more information.

Drink Local Wine is an organization founded on the principal that there are great wines to be found everywhere, not just in the best known regions. A non-profit organization, the DLW mission is to promote the wines of these lesser known regions throughout the United States and Canada.  The brainchild of Dave McIntyre and Jeff Siegel, who writes the Wine Curmudgeon blog, the organization holds two major events each year — a conference spotlighting regional wine and Regional Wine Week, when bloggers and writers from across the continent write special pieces about their favorite regional wines.

The 2013 conference will be held in Baltimore, Maryland on April 13, 2013. For tickets or more information, go to www.DrinkLocalWine.com.

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