SommCon Conference & Beverage Expo returns to San Diego, September 7-9, for the most anticipated gathering of on- and off-premise buyers, importers, distributors, sommeliers and decision-makers in wine and spirits.
With an expanded conference program, one-on-one buyer/supplier meetings, pre-conference peer-to-peer roundtables, and more dedicated time for new product discovery at the Beverage Expo – SommCon’s wine and spirits trade tasting – SommCon continues to be a can’t-miss industry event for beverage professionals. Today, SommCon announces the release of its 2025 conference agenda.
This year’s program has been thoughtfully curated to meet the moment – offering a space for the beverage community to gather, exchange ideas, and gain the skills needed to navigate what’s next. From certifications and mentorship to expert-led seminars, tasting techniques, and regional explorations, conference programming is designed to support every stage of a beverage professional’s career journey.
Sessions fill on a first-come, first-served basis, and many reach capacity quickly. Early registration is encouraged to secure preferred seminars and tastings.
2025 Schedule Highlights:
Regional & Varietal Explorations
Taste through benchmark regions and varietals in guided sessions that sharpen tasting skills and expand sourcing knowledge. These sessions are designed to deepen regional expertise and inform smart buying decisions. Featured regions include: Abruzzo, Chile, China, Irpinia, Languedoc, Piedmont, San Diego, Tuscany, and beyond.
The Future of The Industry
SommCon is a hub for conversations that matter, bringing the industry together to workshop pressing challenges like evolving consumer preferences, labor and staffing pressures, sustainability, inclusion, market and regulatory shifts, bringing new brands to market, and emerging categories.
Roundtable Discussions
New pre-conference roundtables bring peers in similar industry sectors together for focused, honest, and solution-driven conversation around shared challenges and experiences. These discussions provide a safe space for attendees to gain insights from peers and share best practices. Roundtables include:
Independent Buyer: Sourcing, Scaling & Staying Nimble
Supplier: Growth, Grit & Game Plans
High-Volume National Buyer: Trends, Challenges & Tactical Solutions
Supplier Education
As producer participation continues to grow, SommCon now includes a dedicated education track created specifically for wine and spirits suppliers. These focused sessions are designed to help brands strengthen distribution strategy, grow market presence, and connect with peers facing similar challenges. The track delivers high-impact insights on topics like brand building, staffing, and scaling, bringing intentional programming to the supplier side of the conversation for the first time.
1:1 Buyer/Supplier Networking – Bottle Blitz
SommCon’s Hosted Buyer Program brings high-volume wine and spirits buyers from across the country to participate in conference programming, explore the Beverage Expo, and discover new producers. New for 2025, SommCon Bottle Blitz adds a curated, speed-dating-style tasting format to the agenda – giving Hosted Buyers and approved suppliers the chance to connect through quick, focused, and purposeful meetings designed to spark real business.
Specialty Courses & Certifications
Each pre-conference course offers two full days of in-depth training and the opportunity to earn recognized industry certifications. Led by some of the industry’s most respected educators, these courses allow attendees to level up technical skills, earn credentials, and gain a stronger foundation in a focused area of study:
Somm Intensive Course with David Glancy MS
Champagne Specialist Certification with Tanya Morning Star
French Wine Scholar Course with Lindsay Pomeroy MW
Spirits Education
SommCon’s spirits track offers beverage professionals the opportunity to expand their knowledge beyond wine, with sessions exploring the diversity of Armagnac, the strategy behind ice in cocktails, and the legacy of women shaping the future of whiskey. Designed for somms, buyers, and bartenders, these seminars build confidence with spirits and offer practical ways to enhance beverage programs through thoughtful selection and service.
Attendees also get access to the SommCon Beverage Expo, the West Coast’s largest and most dynamic trade tasting. The Beverage Expo brings together domestic and international producers across wine, beer, spirits, and the low- and no-alcohol categories, creating opportunities for new product discovery, portfolio growth, and meaningful face-to-face connections with on- and off-premise buyers.
With a scenic, campus-style setting at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, SommCon offers a focused environment for beverage professionals to connect, learn, and recharge in a setting designed for meaningful engagement.