Registration is now open for the 2020 Oregon Wine Symposium, an annual convention taking place February 11 and 12 at the Oregon Convention Center. Presented by the Oregon Wine Board, the Oregon Wine Symposium is a deep dive into wine industry trends and learnings from wine experts. The show is also the site of the Northwest’s largest wine industry trade show, hosted by the Oregon Winegrowers Association, with more than 180 exhibitors.
Now in its fourteenth year, the Oregon Wine Symposium hosts more than 30 sessions over two days, including a number of wine trial tastings. Fields of interest are divided into topic-specific tracks exploring viticulture, enology, and sales and marketing, where participants are granted 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 appetizers, desserts and wines from all corners of the state.
Returning to this year’s lineup are the ever-popular climate forecast of Dr. Greg Jones, director the of the Evenstad Center for Wine Education at Linfield College, and the State of the Industry Report by Rob McMillan, EVP and founder of Silicon Valley Bank’s Wine Division.
New this year is a presentation of OWB-funded research on nitrogen management in the vineyard and cellar, which will include a panel of four researchers from Oregon State University. The panel will take people through managing fermentable nitrogen in the vineyard and in the winery, sharing results of a multi-year, multi-vintage study. Viticulture, wine production and sensory results will be presented, including a technical tasting of wine samples from the research.
From an environmental perspective, the Symposium will feature a seminar focused on the importance of future farming called Farming Your Vineyard for Carbon Sequestration with David Montgomery, co-author of The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health. Montgomery will explore why good health―for people and for plants―depends on Earth’s smallest creatures and how microbes can revolutionize agriculture and medicine.
To lower the event’s footprint, the Symposium’s B-Corp partner Social Enterprises has a shared goal of diverting 85% of all waste produced during the show. To accomplish this, food service over the two days will be with china and silverware rather than single use packaging. Catering menus are chosen with local and sustainable products, and condiments are served in bulk containers. Additionally, the convention center recently installed solar panels to offset 25% of the venue’s electrical power usage.
The full-access admission price is reduced 25% with the early bird discount offered until January 15, which puts the price of the show at $225. Attendees who join the Oregon Winegrowers Association can save an additional $60 off the price of full admission. After the show, attendees can gain early access to PowerPoint presentations and recordings of sessions, with the 2019 recorded sessions now available online.
For additional information on the preliminary program, speakers and special events, visit www.oregonwinesymposium.com.
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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.
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