Washington Wines - On the Map!

Grape Grower & Winery Convention

February 10-13, 2015 - Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennewick, WA

Cashmere, WA- Registration is now open for the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers 2015 Convention with the theme of “Washington Wines- on the Map”.  The Convention is the premier educational opportunity for the Northwest grape and wine industry featuring sessions and workshops for growers, viticultural staff, wineries, enologists, tasting room staff and marketers.

 The four day event, held February 10, 11, 12, and 13, is the second largest of its kind in the nation and boasts sixteen educational sessions and will be held at the Three Rivers Convention Center with the trade show featuring 160 booths, held in the adjacent Toyota Center in Kennewick.

 On Tuesday, February 10 a special interactive listening session is being held to provide information and offer wineries the opportunity to have input into the Department of Ecology’s proposed general winery permit.  The session, which is being offered for free as an industry service, begins at 1:30. This is an opportunity for wineries to work with DOE to discuss topics such as variations in winery size and operations, current wastewater treatment methods, and issues or concerns.  All Washington wineries are encouraged to attend.

 Last May, the Department of Ecology proposed a general permit for winery wastewater discharges and they cite potential adverse impacts including degradation of groundwater through over-application of untreated wastewater and for discharges to municipal wastewater treatment plants, the high strength and fluctuating discharge rate of a winery may upset treatment plant operations. In July, the DOE announced they would develop a general permit and is currently gathering information to develop a preliminary draft permit.

 The convention will also feature a diverse line-up a sessions on Wednesday, February 11, Thursday, February 12, and Friday, February 13 including: Focus on Vintage Variation--Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 vs. 2013.  Focus on Viticulture, a day-long session presented in Spanish.  Advanced Viticulture—Vineyard Expansion, the Sequeland, New Processing Technology for Wineries, Large and Small.

 For a full schedule of convention sessions and activities, go to www.wawgg.org