The second International Sparkling Wine Symposium

Event team

The International Sparkling Wine Symposium organising committee consists of:

Proven Communication - Bryony Wright and Rachel Child
Litmus Wines - Sam Harrop MW, John Worontschak and Mike Florence
Wineanorak.com - Dr Jamie Goode

Rachel Child: Rachel is an Account Director at Proven. She has five year's drinks specialist PR experience covering trade and consumer media relations, event management, product launches and experiential marketing. Rachel works across all Proven's drinks clients, including Moet Hennessy, Vina Casa Silva, Skalli, Guerrieri Rizzardi, Tagus Creek and Bristol's only Michelin-starred restaurant Casamia.

Mike Florence: Formerly General Manager of the renowned International Wine Challenge, Mike joined Litmus Wines in 2009. He brings 15 years' management experience within the wine trade, covering sales, marketing, events and exhibitions, public relations and publishing.

Dr Jamie Goode: Currently one of the most respected international wine writers, Jamie is the wine columnist with UK national newspaper The Sunday Express and editor of wineanorak.com. He won the 2007 Glenfiddich Wine Writer of the year award, and contributes regularly to a range of publications including World of Fine Wine, Wine Business International, Wines and Vines, Hong Kong Tatler and Decanter. His first book, Wine Science, won the Glenfiddich Award for Drinks Book in 2006. Jamie holds a pHd in plant biology and is particularly interested in the science of wine.

Sam Harrop MW: Sam trained as a winemaker in his native New Zealand, gaining valuable experience at Villa Maria in Auckland and Hawkes Bay before moving to boutique winery Littorai Wines in California. In the late 1990s he changed direction and spent seven years working as wine buyer for Marks & Spencer, during which time he passed the Master of Wine qualification and travelled the wine regions of the world, before returning to winemaking as a consultant. He now works with clients across France, Portugal and Spain. Sam is also co-chairman of the International Wine Challenge, the world's most prestigious international wine competition.

John Worontschak: An Australian winemaker with over 25 years international experience in all aspects of the wine industry, John became one of the first 'flying winemakers' back in the early 90s and has worked for numerous wineries in over 25 different countries. He is privileged to have had the opportunity and pleasure of seeing the global wine industry evolve and develop. Now a Director of Litmus Wines and a Winemaking Consultant for Four Corners Consultancy, John is currently involved in winemaking and wine sales in a number of different international markets.

Bryony Wright: As founder and director of Proven Communication with 15 years' PR experience and seven years working solely as a wine educator in the UK, Bryony is very well connected within the UK wine industry. She is an acknowledged expert in champagne, having worked for nearly 10 years managing trade and wine specialist communications for GH Mumm and Perrier-Jouet, before taking on new clients Dom Perignon, Veuve Clicquot and Moet & Chandon in 2010.

Click here to download the official proceedings from the 2009 ISWS.