What is WWET?

Wine Writers’ Educational Tour (WWET) is a series of conferences for wine writers. Each event will provide a multi-day, deep dive into an important wine region.

Every conference will be packed with high-quality tastings and learning experiences, encompassing the host region’s:

  • History, development and current trends
  • Position in the market
  • Terroir: climate, soils, terrain
  • Advantages, opportunities and challenges
  • Key grape varieties and wine styles

Content will include field trips, seated presentations, panels and tastings—all conducted by subject-matter experts who are effective communicators and presenters. They will include winemakers, growers and proprietors from the region, respected writers, and credentialed educators.

100% of the content will focus on the host region. There will be no content from geographies outside the host region.

WWET is an educational corporation, run on a not-for-profit basis. Limited financial investment with high ROI for participants and sponsors is a key goal. Because of the non-profit nature, some participation costs and sponsorships may be tax deductible. [501(3)(c) status is being worked on, but not guaranteed.]

WWET’s founder is wine writer and educator Fred Swan.

Who are Wine Writers’ Educational Tours For?

WWET conferences will benefit serious writers and videographers who are substantially focused on wine and wine-related food and travel pieces, regardless of whether their primary platform is traditional (print, broadcast) or online. International attendees are welcome. Attendees must be serious, but need not be full-time writers nor making the bulk of their income from wine writing.

How Wine Writers’ Educational Tours are Different

  • Each WWET conference is solely focused on the host region, no others will participate.
  • WWET is focused on in-depth education, not driving revenue.
  • WWET attendance is capped (≤40 writers) to allow for richer content and better experiences
  • WWET writer attendees are rigorously qualified.
  • WWET is very collaborative with regions, wineries and related agencies.
  • Because costs to regions are lower, small wineries are able to participate and all regional entities can provide better experiences and wines for the writers.
  • WWET provides quality time between writers, wineries and related agencies.
  • There will be no speed tastings or mystery buses. All experiences are professional.
  • WWET is designed by writers for writers.
  • WWET will focus on a different region each time.
  • WWET focuses on the region, not the craft and business of writing.
  • Regions, wineries and PR firms participate in WWET, but they don’t set the agenda or control the content.
  • To ensure independence of content, eliminate implied obligation to write about particular topics or wineries, and to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, WWET attendees pay to attend and for their travel/accommodations.