Wine Industry Report

In the midst of nurturing and harvesting this year’s winegrape crop, a group of 30 industry leaders were hard at work putting together the program for the 2007 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, to take place at the Sacramento Convention Center on January 23-25, 2007.

Program Development Committee members challenged themselves to select industry issues that will be most relevant to 2007 Unified Symposium attendees reports committee chairman Bob Steinhauer.

“Two topics on the minds of everyone in the industry are labor and the potential impacts of climate change. These two issues will be addressed panelists providing the most up-to-date information and leading the discussion on what actions Unified Symposium attendees can take,” Steinhauer said. The opening day also includes an afternoon session on the latest research results ready for application in vineyards. Topics for this session range from “Mealy Bug Suppression” to the “National Grapevine Registry” and an “Introduction of Nematode Resistant Rootstock.”

As in past years, each day will begin with a general session, followed in the afternoon with breakout sessions organized into four different categories: Grapegrowing; Winemaking; Business, Economics & Operations; and Marketing & Public Relations. Also included are two sessions on Thursday, January 25th presented in Spanish.

One of the biggest draws of the three-day event, the State of the Industry general session is again planned for Wednesday, January 24th. During this popular session, several industry leaders will present hard numbers, show trends and offer their opinions on what it all means and where the wine and grape industry is headed. The other general session topics are: The Future of Labor and the Wine Industry, which assesses the future human resource needs of the American wine community and 10 Things You Need to Know to Sell More Wine This Decade, which translates results from surveys, market research studies and focus groups into ready-to-use information.

Climate Change and the potential impact it could have on quality grapegrowing and winemaking is a joint grape growing and winemaking session scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, January 24th. As the process of confirming speakers continues, topics and abbreviated program descriptions will be posted and routinely updated at www.unifiedsymposium.org. Registration information will be available October 23rd.

Built with the joint input of growers, vintners and allied industry members, the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium provides wine and grape industry professionals with direct access to the latest information they need to remain competitive. Jointly organized by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium represents the collective experience, knowledge and background of the entire industry. The Unified Symposium also hosts the industry’s largest trade show of its kind, with nearly 500 vendors displaying their products and services.
The 2007 Unified Wine and Grape Symposium will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center, January 23-25. For additional information, call (800) 550-1496 or (650) 416-2486.