Are you a writer? Do you write about wine, or do you want to? Are you ready to sit in a room again with fellow human beings and do the things that we used to do before we were all scared of the disease?

If you answered yes to all those questions, then you might consider applying to attend the 2023 Symposium for Professional Wine Writers, which will be returning to an in-person event in March for the first time since the pandemic.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Symposium, it’s been going on for 15 years, and there is nothing quite like it in the world. It’s a gathering of some of the best English-language wine writers on the planet along with those who aspire to be—or at least, those who are at various stages in their professional wine writing careers. Held at the Meadowood Resort in Napa Valley, the event is three days of inspiration, learning, collegiality, and discussion about the craft, the industry, and the philosophy of wine writing.

I have attended many times (OK, more than many—I’ve been to all but three of them in the last 15 years, I think) and I can say that the event is without peers when it comes to professional industry conferences. And not just because it’s held at one of the world’s greatest luxury resorts. The event typically features guest speakers whose names you know and whose work you read regularly, arranged into discussions, panels, and lectures that dive deep into many aspects of wine and wine writing. For anyone like me, who thrives on learning new things, bathing in ideas, and chatting with people who share the same passion, it’s a bit like a trip to Disneyland for any 8-year-old.

And it’s free. That is if you apply, and you are accepted, you get to attend for free, including your lodging and meals at Meadowood. There’s no better deal to be had in the world of wine-related conferences anywhere.

So if you’re a wine writer, or an aspiring one, consider applying to attend. Especially if you believe you can help the Symposium further one of its stated goals: promoting diversity within the wine-writing community.

The Symposium will take place March 5th through 8th, 2023. Applications are due by November 16, 2023 and include an original 800-word essay on a specific topic.

So get crackin’!

Image of “wine critic at work” created in collaboration with MidJourneyAI, which for all its genius, still doesn’t know how to draw human hands.