Wine Women, Assemble!

New symposium sparks movement

BY OWP STAFF

On Jan. 14, a new kind of wine symposium commenced in the heart of the Willamette Valley. The focus? Simply, women and wine. And yet, the two-day gathering was so much more than that. For Rachel Adams, the founder and executive director, the conference is more of a crusade.

“While Assemblage [Symposium] speaks directly to the barriers women and diverse communities face in wine, this movement is for anyone invested in workplace-based social change,” she says. “We give so much of ourselves and our lives to our careers. It’s imperative that we spend time and resources making sure our work works — for ourselves and our families, for each other, and for the greater good.”

Keynote speakers included Bree Stock, an Aussie-Oregonian Master of Wine; Dr. Kim Perkins of the Nobl Collective in L.A.; Elaine Chukan Brown, a member of the Jancis Robinson team; and Jenna Reed of the Cascade Employers Association. Topics ranged but aimed to empower, from “Cooperation and Competition,” to “Performance Culture, Values and Self Care” and “An Inclusive Workspace.”

In addition to the main speakers, many others led panel discussions. One of the most popular, “Failure: The Real F Word,” featured leaders Mimi Casteel of Hope Well Wine; wine journalist Julia Coney; Cristina Báez of ATAULA; Carrie Welch of Little Green Pickle and Feast Portland; and chef Nong Poonsukwattana of Nong’s Khao Man Gai.

More than 30 women were part the Assemblage team, each sharing her own experience and expertise, regarding a variety of current topics and at a number of locations — buses were provided for easy transportation from the base of McMinnville, making for even more time for connections among attendees, as well as breakfast and lunch.

Approximately 275 guests listened intently and engaged throughout the two days; and many are planning to attend next year’s symposium.

Check www.assemblagesymposium.com for 2021 details.