The Taste3 Conference: The Art of Wine, Food and Thought

Robert Mondavi constantly reminded the world that wine was part of a “civilized life.” For him, the apex of human experience, the trifecta, was wine, food and art. Mondavi began the physical realization of this idea with the advent of Copia, an 80,000 square foot center for the arts, food and wine, sitting on 12 acres in downtown Napa, which opened in 2001. The second concrete iteration of Mondavi's philosophy came in the form of a yearly conference called Taste3. Inspired by the 40th anniversary of the Robert Mondavi Winery, which helped to forever change the way American’s viewed wine, the Taste3 conference, has grown to become, in a few short years, a forum for fresh ideas, new thought patterns and unique perspectives on wine, food, art and how we as human beings fit into the scheme of things.

With its third presentation now over, the preparations have already begun for the next Taste3. I was fortunate to be invited and to experience firsthand the intensive few days of a whirlwind schedule of speakers, dinners, interaction with fellow attendees, sponsors and of course, wine. Thursday evening is the opening reception, a chance to gather and meet several hundred of your soon to be closest friends, punctuated by Mondavi wines. Then Friday the conference starts with a bang. The theatre at Copia is ideally suited for intimate gatherings of the large ideas that were to come. It's important to wrap your head around the concept that Taste3 is about ideas, riffs on a theme, and variable thoughts over the precise, linear world we live in. For that reason, each session has a title that can be interpreted in a number of ways. “Consumed” fittingly began the four speaker first session, followed by other themes including “Seeds”, “Urban”, “World View” and “Action/Reaction,” among others. The goal is to create dialog, new thought paths, awareness and contemplation about our place as individuals in the world and our connectedness with that world.

To that end, the line up of speakers were as diverse as the subject matter: The Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems from UC Santa Cruz, a professor of chemical engineering at UC Davis, master baker Peter Reinhart, writers, social activists, entrepreneurs, artists, and the research leader of the USDA Processed Foods Research Unit. Some speakers had much in common, others were diametrically opposite. But all shared the stage to enlighten, inform and expand on their areas of expertise, be that vending machines, food, consumption, the future of wineries in a changing climate, musicians, filmmakers or even the honeybee expert. In between sessions and during lunch breaks there was time for conversation. To assume that each break provided opportunity for consistent idea swapping would be over stating the reality. However, I did find myself engaged in compelling conversations, albeit brief and challenging. After all, the reason for being at Taste3 is to enlarge your mind as to what might be possible, even if in the confines of a small sphere of influence.