Vine & Victors

By Jerry Kolins, MD, DipWSET, Certified Sommelier

The Vine Society of Davison, North Carolina brought us the Greater Lake Norman Wine Summit on Friday, December 12, 2025. This symposium featured three master sommeliers, wine producers from around the world, and about 184 wine enthusiasts who yearned to learn. Let me say a few words about the term symposium.

Many of us attended symposia in our professional life. Usually, these were events that consisted of didactic presentations with an open session permitting attendees to challenge the presenters. Some of these symposia tested one’s physical stamina lasting from 7am to 8pm and offered continuing educational credits that may be required for professional competency. These symposia were not about fun.

Actually, the term symposium is a Greek word meaning “drinking together.” According to Wikipedia, “In Ancient Greece, the symposium (Ancient Greek: συμπόσιον, sympósion, from συμπίνειν, sympínein, ‘to drink together’) was the part of a banquet that took place after the meal, when drinking for pleasure was accompanied by music, dancing, recitals, or conversation.”

Mariano Doble, founder of the Vine Society and Proprietor of the Davidson Village Inn, understands the Greek meaning of symposia and made it happen in Cornelius, NC. Entertainment and education were not only provided by our master sommeliers but we were also greeted by a mime reinforcing the tradition of a symposium with entertainment as well as wine. Open discussions were my favorite component of the day.

Master Sommelier Larry O’Brien offered us the comment that a loaf of bread with wine and your lover constitute one of the two most important pleasures of life. He went on to say that the other pleasure will not be the subject of today’s discussion—though Plato probably would have covered both wine and love.

Master Sommelier Max Kast gave a talk on viticulture including organic and biodynamic approaches to vineyard health. Oskar Menkhaus, Operations Manager of the Vine Society, labeled this class as the “Nerd Group.” I am proud to say I was part of that session. Of course, as in the Greek symposia, wine was served during Max’s presentation including a COS Frappato, 2024 from Sicily and a Guy Breton, Cru Beaujolais 2024 from Morgon.

Master Sommelier David Keck makes his wine in Vermont. This should not be surprising considering his attire as shown in the image of our instructors. David commented on the art of the hospitality industry. Specifically, he expressed understanding regarding convenience of buying pre-packaged cocktails in aluminum cans. But let’s not miss out on the showmanship of the bartender or sommelier who prepares an array of drinks or presents a port wine in a fashion that reveals the education, training and experience required to be at the top of your game. It’s part of the beauty of enjoying life and the show.

In the open session, there was discussion on the health benefits or dangers of consuming alcohol. My favorite comment was delivered by a retired oncologist, Dr. Richard Krumdieck, who said that many of his patients have asked him if wine is OK to drink. His response was, a good wine is good to drink. But don’t drink bad wine.

The Greater Lake Norman Wine Summit is a true symposium. You don’t see this very often. It should be cherished.

For those who still wonder about the effect of alcohol on health, I include this article for your enlightenment: Is Alcohol Good or Bad for You? Yes.