September 26, 2018, Portland, OR… Registration is now open for the 2019 Oregon Wine Symposium, to be held Feb. 12-13 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. Presented by the Oregon Wine Board, Oregon Winegrowers Association and TricorBraun Winepak, the Oregon Wine Symposium seeks to educate the wine industry on timely topics in viticulture, enology and wine business. The show also hosts the Northwest’s largest wine industry trade show, with more than 180 exhibitors.
Now in its eighth year, the Symposium is heralded as one of the best values for wine education with more than 25 sessions over two days, including a number of comprehensive Oregon producer wine trial tastings. As in years past, the two-day show will be divided into four distinct “tracks” to best target participants’ fields of interest: Viticulture, Enology, Executive Business and DTC Business. As well as full access to seminars, lectures and panel discussions, the all-access pass also offers networking and meeting opportunities with vendors, a festive happy hour called the Oregon Wine Soirée featuring Oregon wine pours, appetizers and desserts, and wines from across the state.
For a limited time, ticket prices are reduced 30% with the Early Bird discount offered until Jan. 15, 2019. After the show, attendees can gain early access to PowerPoint presentations and recordings of sessions; last year’s recorded sessions are now publicly available.
As well as perennial favorites such as the Oregon Wine Soirée, the Climatology Report by Dr. Greg Jones, and the Oregon Wine Industry Awards, the 2019 show features a keynote address by Sandra Taylor, international expert on environmental, social and agricultural supply chain sustainability and author of The Business of Sustainable Wine. Taylor will speak on global trends and local opportunities in brand equity building and sustainability in the wine industry. After opening ceremonies, the breakout seminars begin featuring key sessions:
Viticulture
Day one will feature OSU researchers discussing several pressing vineyard topics, such as the latest findings around Red Blotch and new clean plant certifications with The Road to Clean Nursery Stock and Solutions for Red Blotch. Vineyard managers will learn about Farming for Quality: Alternative Farming Techniques for Dry Farmed Vineyards in a Changing Climate. Spanish interpretation across the viticulture seminars beginning with Understanding the Microbiome.
Enology
The enology track will open with a seminar and tasting dedicated to Exploring and Understanding Wildfire Impacts on Winemaking and Wine. Oxygen management will also be discussed later on the first day.
On the second day, the morning’s enology track will be comprised of a panel discussion on effective selling with winemakers in the trade in a seminar entitled Three Tiers for Fears; Get out of the Cellar and be a Seller. The day finishes with a tasting at the Managing Microbes from Crush to Bottle session.
Executive and DTC Wine Business
Multiple sessions will be geared toward executive and DTC management as well as tasting room staff on driving quality visitation, implementing best practices in hospitality, and measuring results with the Outlook on the Wine Sector: Managing the Changing Generational Demographic and Market Dynamics, with panelists Metis CEO Erik McLaughlin, Dr. Damien Wilson, and Tony Correia. Executive business tracks on the second day will explore The Bottom Line: How Understanding COGS Can Increase Your Profitability: A Case Study.
In the DTC business track, Best Practices for DTC Management will be discussed, along with Metrics that Matter; How to Leverage 2018 Data to Drive 2019 Success. Decisions surrounding salary and HR best practices will be explored along with understanding all the decision points that contribute to profitability across the vineyard, cellar and sales channels.
For additional information on the preliminary program, speakers and special events, visit symposium.oregonwine.org.
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About the Oregon Wine Board
The Oregon Wine Board is a semi-independent Oregon state agency managing marketing, research and education initiatives that support and advance the Oregon wine and wine grape industry. The Board works on behalf of all Oregon wineries and independent growers throughout the state’s diverse winegrowing regions. Visit oregonwine.org.
About the Oregon Winegrowers Association
The Oregon Winegrowers Association advances and protects the investments of its members. Harnessing the power of state-wide consensus, the OWA stands as a vital advocate for the health, growth and economic sustainability of Oregon’s wine grape growing and wine production community. The OWA is the only statewide organization speaking on behalf of Oregon’s vineyards and wineries to decision-makers in Salem and Washington, D.C. to ensure the community’s continued success. Visit oregonwinegrowers.org.
About TricorBraun Winepak
TricorBraun WinePak is a premier packaging distributor supplying a broad variety of packaging components for the wine industry. With locations throughout North America, the company provides access to the highest quality glass from multiple domestic and global sources, as well as Stelvin® capsules and closures, private and stock molds, full decorating services, repacking capabilities, enhanced design and engineering services and the strongest sales and customer service support in the industry.
