December 10, 2020, Portland, OR… More than 36 topical seminars covering several facets of wine business, marketing, enology, and viticulture will be presented virtually over four days February 16-19 at the 2021 Oregon Wine Symposium. As well as new events in an exciting online format such as Oregon Wine Board supported research presentations, this year’s symposium will see the return of popular seminars including the Oregon wine industry’s only awards celebration, a virtual tradeshow held February 16-17, many virtual networking opportunities, and the Dr. Greg Jones Climatology Report.
With education seminars hosted annually by the Oregon Wine Board, the Symposium is often hailed as the perfect spot to connect and collaborate with colleagues in the wine business, and this year’s content strives to provide maximum value to attendees as it has for 16 years running.
Participants are encouraged to register before January 15, 2021 to take advantage of the full-access admission reduction of 20% for early bird pricing, putting admission cost at only $79 for four full days of education and networking. Group admission for four or more drops to $69 apiece, and $25 admission for full access to viticulture seminars and general sessions with Spanish interpretation.
A highly anticipated seminar to be held on the first day of the Symposium at 1 pm will be a rousing keynote speech by Steve Brown. Brown, a Portlander known as the Bald Futurist, will present a no-holds-barred look at future of the Oregon wine industry, stemming from three decades of experience in high tech, strategic planning, and innovation. The future of wine: New customers, new channels, digital winegrowing, transparency, and de-snobification, will present a futuristic look at how to ignite tired wine brands with innovation and technology, especially in light of the pandemic, to embrace a new efficient world fueled by innovative ideas. A speaker and coach for Fortune 50 companies including Nike, JP Morgan, Hasbro and Disney, Brown believes in humankind’s resilience and strives to see a more successful, innovative and “less fragile” society.
Brown says, “Human ingenuity, adaptability, and intelligence have served us well in the past and will continue to be among our best assets as we navigate the current crisis. Companies that take both the short and long view, that understand how the world is changing, and that invest to thrive in the new normal, will prevail.”
The spotlight on day one of the Symposium will be on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), opening with Creating an Inclusive Workplace Culture in the Real World. Other compelling seminars and research presentations include the Linfield Oregon Wine Industry Labor Survey & the Assemblage DEI Survey presentation, and a look at positive impacts on business with DEI support by Dr. Edward Hubbard with his presentation Diversity Return on Investment.
Educational seminars in this year’s symposium are two-part seminars with the first seminar a primer and the following seminar an advanced session and deep-dive into new and current research. On the enology track, a number of topical seminars devoted to wildfire smoke will be presented. These include findings from OWB & Erath Foundation Funded Smoke Research on the 2020 harvest in Oregon, with OSU Drs. Elizabeth Tomasino and James Osborne presenting collected data on impacts of smoke on grapes by proximity wildfire event and variety. Dr. Anita Oberholster of UC Davis will lead What We Know about Grape Smoke Exposure Impacts, followed by Winemaker Trials and Approaches to Mitigating Smoke Impact. Effects of Maceration Techniques and Pressing Parameters will also be explored by Dr. Keren Bindon of the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI), global leader in smoke mitigation research for wine grapes.
In viticulture, some highly anticipated programs include Plant Biology, both Winter Basics and Summer Basics divided into separate days. Sap Flow Pruning to Prevent Trunk Disease will be discussed by Simonit & Sirch, vine master pruners for some of the leading wineries in the world, and trunk disease researcher Dr. Kendra Baumgartner, with the USDA in Davis, CA. Leaf Removal – What, When and Why will be led by Dr. Patty Skinkis, OSU Professor and Viticulture Extension Specialist. Finally, special attention will be paid to cover crops with two seminars; Cover Crops–The Non-Vine Basics and How to Use Cover Crops Across the State–What, When and Why.
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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