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The economy will dominate the program sessions during next year’s Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, according to Program Chair Dr. John Thorngate. He has been confirmed once again by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) to chair the program development committee for the 2010 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, which takes place at the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento, January 26-28.

“Sharing our strong commitment to providing program content with real value for all participants, John is also enthusiastic about the program development process and the opportunity to work with a broad-based group of wine and grape community leaders to create a compelling program that has something of value for
every aspect of our industry,” said Karen Ross, president of CAWG, which along with the ASEV has hosted the Unified Symposium for the past 15 years. “That is especially important in the current economic climate where every educational opportunity needs to be assessed for the value it will bring back to the business,” added Lyndie Boulton, executive director of ASEV.

Dr. Thorngate, an applications chemist in research and development with Constellation Wines, U.S., will head a committee of more than 30 other leaders from the wine and grape industry to develop the program sessions for the 2010 Unified Symposium. Each session will focus of a key issue that is important to those who make their livelihoods from wine and grape production with topics ranging from winemaking and viticulture to sales and marketing.

Well known and respected by many in throughout the wine industry, Dr. Thorngate received his doctorate in agricultural and environmental chemistry from the Department of Viticulture and Enology, University of California, Davis, in 1992. He has previously served as assistant professor of Sensory Science at the
University of Idaho.

“The first meeting of the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium Program Development Committee was held in Lodi the first week of June.” said Dr. Thorngate. “Our members certainly had plenty of great ideas during this initial brainstorming session. However, if a theme has emerged to characterize the 2010 Unified Symposium, it would be the economy. No other single issue so dominates discussion among all facets of the industry, so we plan to tailor a good bit of the program around this pressing concern.”

Built with the joint input of growers, vintners and allied industry members, the Unified Symposium serves as an annual clearinghouse of information important to wine and grape industry professionals. The Unified Symposium also hosts the industry’s largest trade show of its kind, with over 550 vendors displaying their products and services. For additional information, please call (530) 753-1342 or on the Internet go to www.unifiedsymposium.org

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