University of Oxford, St Cross College, UK
The Pinot Noir and Identity Symposium is the inaugural event organised by The Pinot Noir Project – a hub for knowledge exchange bringing researchers from a wide range of disciplines together with winemakers and industry representatives for collaboration, consultation and participation.
Our first international symposium aims to focus attention on this grape variety’s unique place in the world of wine by examining how Pinot Noir’s identity has been constructed over the centuries. We invite contributions exploring not only the origins and historical evolution of its status, reputation, and mythology, but also envisaging how these aspects of its identity might be reconstructed in new environmental and commercial contexts.
We hope to answer questions such as:
How, when, where, and by whom was Pinot Noir’s identity constructed? And in whose interests?
What determines its representation and reception in the industry as well as the broader community?
What effects does association with Pinot Noir have on the identity of producers, consumers, and intermediaries?
Does identification with Pinot Noir confirm the commercial and cultural impact of its symbolic power?
How might Pinot Noir’s identity develop in relation to climate change, new markets, and challenging health and wellbeing policies?
The Pinot Noir and Identity Symposium will therefore showcase current research on the topic, in conversation with industry practitioners including winemakers, wine writers, wine marketers, and wine connoisseurs. It is open to all wine scholars, academic and non-academic, as well as those involved in the production, promotion, and consumption of Pinot Noir wines. We are seeking diverse contributions on a variety of wine-related subjects associated with Pinot Noir and Identity from all academic disciplines as well as industry and consumer perspectives, and a wide range of geographies. Attendance by individuals or industry representatives is also very welcome.
We invite different types of presentations, such as:
Peer-reviewed Papers – scholarly in nature and accessible in style
Shorter Papers – including research proposals, explorations, and work-in-progress
Reflective Papers – from winemakers, wine writers, drinkers and thinkers
All submissions – even sensory science, viticultural and oenological papers – should primarily address the social, cultural or historical aspects of the wine’s production and consumption to enable discussion and exchange of knowledge between all participants.
Most papers will be 15 minutes maximum, followed by discussion, and all papers must be presented in English.
In addition to a programme of papers, we will organise a panel comprised of a range of academic and industry representatives to respond to the research presented and propose ways to actively collaborate across academia and industry. In this way, we intend to identify, define, and prioritise the most important future directions for Pinot Noir research, laying the foundations for a global research and data network focused on Pinot Noir.
We are currently exploring venues for publishing the outcomes of our symposium in both academic (peer-reviewed) and non-academic (general readership) presses. To be considered, submissions must be original and should neither be published previously nor be under consideration for publication in another journal.
Guidelines for Submissions
Peer-reviewed Papers – If you would like to submit a full paper to be peer-reviewed and included in the conference proceedings, (for example, if this is necessary to obtain funding from your institution) please submit a preliminary 800-1200-word abstract by the 30 November for feedback and then full paper by 28 February. The abstract should be structured in a way that is standard for your discipline and full paper guidelines will be forwarded upon request.
Shorter Papers and Reflective Papers – Please submit a 250-300-word abstract by the 30 November including a title, description of aims, and clear connections with the Pinot Noir and Identity theme.
All submissions should be accompanied by a 150-200-word biography.
Please send submissions as .doc or .docx attachments to thepinotnoirproject@gmail.com
Please note that submission does not automatically guarantee acceptance and that attendance without submission is also very welcome. If you have any questions or would like to express your interest in participating or attending, please contact thepinotnoirproject@gmail.com
Abstract submission deadline: 30th November 2024
Acceptance notification by: 31st January 2025
Registration opens; 1st February 2025
Early Bird registration deadline: 1st May 2025
Final registration deadline: 1st June 2025
Advisory Committee:
Jacqueline Dutton, Professor of French Studies and Founding Director of The Pinot Noir Project, University of Melbourne, Australia
Steve Charters MW, Professor of Wine Marketing, Burgundy School of Business, France
Graham Harding, Wine historian and Wine Steward of St Cross College, Oxford, UK
Julian Alston, Professor Emeritus Agricultural and Resource Economics, Director of the Centre for Wine Economics, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, University of California – Davis, US
Marion Demossier, Professor of French and European Studies (Anthropology), University of Southampton, UK
Peter Howland, Lecturer in Sociology and Anthropology, Massey University, New Zealand
Olivier Jacquet, Wine historian and executive project manager, UNESCO Chair – Cultures et Traditions Vitivinicoles, University of Burgundy, France
Jennifer Smith Maguire, Professor of Cultural Production and Consumption, Sheffield Business School, and Associate Dean, Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange, Sheffield Hallam University, UK