Tamlyn Currin named host of the Old Vine Conference 2026
22 September 2026
Radici Vive (Living Roots) comes to Fontanafredda, Piedmont, on 2 December, as the OVC confirms a new leadership structure
The Old Vine Conference (OVC) has named Tamlyn Currin, Senior Editor of JancisRobinson.com, as host of its 2026 conference - Radici Vive (Living Roots), to be held at Fontanafredda in Piedmont on 2 December 2026.
Currin was an instrumental contributor to JancisRobinson.com’s original Old Vines Register, the volunteer-built account of historic plantings that became the foundation of today’s Old Vine Registry - now the largest database of its kind. As a writer and editor she gathered many of the early entries for the registry as well as authoring regular articles to showcase and promote the evolution of the project.
Her appointment sets the tone for a conference that deliberately moves the old-vine conversation forward. Radici Vive takes as its theme old vines as the infrastructure of the wine industry: the invisible foundation on which the industry already depends. Each field trip and conference session will reveal one element or building block of the system that underpins the value, role and contribution that old vines hold for the future stability of the wine industry.
Tamlyn Currin explains: “Old vines have spent a long time being talked about as something to be rescued. Radici Vive takes this to the next stage, focusing on what they already do for the wine industry, quietly and largely unacknowledged. It's a cause close to my heart and I’m excited to be an integral part of this dialogue.”
The 2026 conference is held in partnership with Fontanafredda, the historic Serralunga d’Alba estate renowned for its Barolo and the great wines of the Langhe, and will be directed by Belinda Stone, Director of the OVC, who was behind last year’s landmark Old Vine Conference in California.
Radici Vive on the 2nd December sits within a wider programme running from 1 to 4 December, with field-trip days for invited media, trade and OVC members taking in five estates working with old vines across Piedmont: Borgogno, Vinchio Vaglio, Marchesi di Grésy, Malvirà and G.D. Vajra.
A structure for the next chapter
Currin’s role as host of this year’s conference accompanies a set of structural changes at the OVC, designed to give each strand of its work – development, education, operations and the conference itself - dedicated focus as the organisation grows.
Leo Austin steps up as Chair of the organisation, focusing on development and delivering value for members. Sarah Abbott MW remains a co-founder of the OVC and moves into the role of Education Advisor.
Anna Harris-Noble, the OVC’s long-standing Regional Ambassador for Spain, becomes Operations Director, taking on daily management of the organisation. Belinda Stone continues as a director of the OVC and steps away from the role of Executive Director to concentrate on the production and direction of the annual conference. Alun Griffiths MW remains as co-founder and Director.
Registration details and the full programme for Radici Vive will be announced shortly.