(TDB) - A group of 80 winemakers, winery marketing representatives and media gathered at the Harvest Inn in Napa Valley’s St. Helena this month for the second annual Wine Conversations: A Global Tasting and Marketing Forum.

A majority of the winemaker guests were from Napa Valley but they also travelled from other California regions and Oregon state. The pedigree of speakers drew many to attend. Master Sommelier, Evan Goldstein, led the conference as moderator and tasting guide, taking participants through a blind tasting of new and old world wines to wake palates and start discussion. Presenters included Master of Wine, Sandy Block, VP of Beverages at Legal Sea Foods, and Wine Editor Sara Schneider of Sunset Magazine, each speaking on the current state of affairs and projected trends in their market places and areas of expertise.

Joining the presenter list was a panel of winemakers: Greg Brewer of Brewer Clifton; Jason Lett of Eyrie Vineyards (Oregon); and Arnaud Weyrich of Roederer Estate, who each spoke to their specific regions and wine styles.

The market and trend presentations turned up an interesting number of points, noted below by presenter.