Grape convention highlights top priorities
WAWGG/courtesy photoAttendees at the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers convention sample some of the finished product while checking out innovations in the field.
Growers, viticulture staff, wineries, enologists, tasting room staff and marketers are all invited to attend the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers 31st Annual Meeting and Conference focusing on the importance of fundamentals.
The three-day event is Feb. 5-7, and is the second largest of its kind in the nation and boasts sixteen educational sessions, with the trade show, featuring 180 booths, held in the adjacent Toyota Center, in Kennewick. All sessions are held at Kennewick's Three Rivers Convention Center. This conference is the premier educational opportunity for the Northwest grape and wine industry.
This year's General Session, scheduled Wednesday, Feb. 5, incorporates overarching issues impacting the wine and grape industry including Department of Ecology Office of Columbia River Director Derek Sandison on the limiting effects of water on industry expansion, an update on the Wine Science Center building, the ever-popular Year-in-Review by Wade Wolfe of Thurston Wolfe, viticulturist Lacey Lybeck of Milbrandt on how to utilize AgWeatherNet on a day to day basis and a keynote from Gene Lester, a USDA Ag Research Service National Program Leader, who will discuss how environmental factors affect wine grape quality.
Current research has proven we don't know all we thought we did about nematodes. Since there are limited post-planting options for nematode management, prevention is key. On Feb. 5, a session will be held on nematode prevention, What You Don't Know About Nematodes Could Hurt You. This session, targeting growers, crop consultants, and nurseries, will discuss different nematodes in Washington, what they do to vineyards, how rootstocks can play a role in nematode management, and the chemical (and alternative) management strategies available for control.
Thursday, Feb. 6, features a session on Viticulture for Vineyard Managers, which examines management decisions needed to incorporate a scientific perspective into vineyard expansion highlighting two panels incorporating industry leaders with the featured presenter Stefano Poni, Fruit and Viticulture Institute Director, Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy, on pruning and canopy management.
Winemakers and owners have more questions than answers when it comes to alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau regulations. The same day there will be a session on, The Changing Landscape of Fining Agents: TTB Regulations and Alternatives, which focuses on what we know now and we can expects. This session targets enologists, lab staff, winemaking staff, and compliance staff and will take a look at what alternatives are out there and how they work.
The statewide expansion of wine grape acreage has seen a parallel increase in the incidence of virus diseases affecting the overall growth and sustainability of Washington's grape and wine industry. As solutions are found for select virus diseases, previously unrecognized diseases such as Grapevine red blotch are emerging that could derail the industry's growth trajectory. The Feb. 7 session Seeing Red: When Old Prevention Techniques Result in New Disease Outbreaks targeting growers, winemakers, crop consultants, and nurseries, will review ongoing efforts in comprehending emerging virus diseases and examine the current challenges and opportunities in dealing with virus diseases for healthy vineyards.
With wine consumption and demand on the rise in international markets, Washington State wineries are poised to expand their consumer base through export. Wine Export: How to Build Your International Business, is an opportunity for wineries to learn about export resources that are available. This session targets winery owners and marketing staff. There will also be a session on Feb. 5, on Managing for Successful Fermentation which will provide insight into understanding microbial ecology and how to successfully manage native and inoculated fermentation. This session targets trained enologists, lab staff, and wine making staff.
Attendees can register early to avoid lines, and have a chance to win door prizes at a Pre-Funk on Feb. 4 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers serves wine grape growers and wineries through education, advocacy and leadership to encourage a positive business environment for continued growth and production of world-class, Washington-grown wines.