EVENTS: Announcing the 2024 Dreamer Exploration Summit!

Development Seminars and Sips with Dream Big Darling  

JANUARY 9TH-10TH, 2024
PASO ROBLES, CA

Join Dream Big Darling for an exciting professional summit showcasing personal and business development and the wines for which Paso is famous. You’ll be networking with and learning from incredible tastemakers in the Dreamer community, tasting some of the region’s most buzzworthy (and mostly women-made) wines, and gaining takeaways, connections and insights that will resonate long after the events are over.

For a selected group of 20 scholarship winners, a full second day of regional winery tours will offer deep insight into what makes Paso so distinctive in the world of wine.


JAN 9TH / DAY ONE - THE DREAMER EXPLORATION SUMMIT - HOSTED AT VINA ROBLES PRODUCTION FACILITY

Open to our Dreamer community, non-member emerging women wine professionals and scholarship winners, this day will feature in person sessions—Telling Your Best Story, Bringing Your Dreams to Life, THE FOUR OUNCE POUR and Paying It Forward—with a focus on bringing your best to your business and community.

Sessions will be led by industry notables: Amy Hoopes, Chief Revenue Officer of The Wine Group; Susan Kostrzewa, former Editor-in-Chief of Wine Enthusiast Media and founder of Resplendent Ink Content Consulting; Anna Maria Ponzi, former CEO & President of Ponzi Vineyards and founder of amponzi & company, author and speaker; Andrea Smalling, Chief Marketing Officer of WineDirect; Regine Rousseau, CEO and founder of wine marketing agency Shall We Wine; Erin Kirschenmann, Managing Editor of Wine Business Monthly, and Chris Brull, former VP of Marketing, Kawasaki Motor Corp. among many others.  

The day concludes with a Sip & Mingle reception at Paso Robles Wine Merchant featuring the wines of six women-led wineries from the Dreamer community.

$50 for Up and Coming Dreamers, $100 for all other guests
Scroll down to apply for a scholarship slot for both days of the program.


JAN 10TH / DAY TWO - THE DREAM TOUR

20 lucky scholarships winners will start with an overview on Paso Robles as a viticultural destination led by Chris Taranto, Communications Director, Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, alongside Stasi Seay, Director of Vineyards, Hope Family Wines. Small groups will then load into chauffeured vehicles for a day of exclusive exploration! Stopping for on-site tech tours and tastings at top wineries in the region, the day also includes a group blending seminar and luncheon. Attendees will be guided in one of three groups by passionate, regional wine celebrities and Dream Big Darling Alumni including Nancy Gonzalez, Ulloa Cellars and Kim Kachmar, Together with Wine.


Qualifications to Apply: Rising female talent in the wine or spirits industry. Women who are considered VERY high performers, aimed at leadership positions or interested in career development opportunities. Less than 10 years of industry experience is preferred. Applicants should be interested in gaining additional business and leadership knowledge and the desire to connect with other industry leaders and key performers.  All applicants must be female and willing to participate in all retreat activities.