Ohio Grape & Wine Conference Set For February
November 20, 2013 Ohio Grape & Wine Conference (OGWC) will take place on Feb. 17-18, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel & Conference Center in Dublin, OH. The conference is jointly organized by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee (OGIC), Ohio State University Extension, Department of Horticulture and Crop Science Viticulture and Enology Programs at OSU-OARDC and the Ohio Wine Producers Association (OWPA).
The 2014 conference consists of both general and concurrent sessions covering a wide range of interesting topics for grape growers and winemakers. Featured speakers at the conference focus on both enology and viticulture and include Jean-Laurent “J-L” Groux, winemaker at Stratus Vineyard, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; Gavin Sacks, Associate Professor in the Food Science Department at Cornell University; and Tony Wolf, Viticulture Professor at Virginia Tech University.
A half-day workshop will be held on Feb. 17 on viticulture and enology. This workshop will focus on the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) variety evaluation project, including updates on both viticultural and enological data, as well as how to effectively use the geographic information system (GIS) to identify suitable vineyard sites in Ohio.
Educational sessions include:
- Old vs. New World Traditions: “J-L” Groux will discuss how his winemaking thoughts and practices have changed since first starting his winemaking tenure in the Niagara Peninsula. He will also provide more detail regarding his winemaking philosophy at Stratus touching on must and wine movement, in addition to an emphasis on “oxygen management.”
- White and Red Wine Production at Stratus Winery: Groux will highlight important varietal vinification and cellar procedures in the production of premium quality wines produced at Stratus.
- Sulfur Dioxide Measurements in the Winery: Sacks will discuss the how, why, and ugly truth behind most analyses. He will also cover elemental sulfur residues and sulfurous off aromas that we can pick up in our wines. Sacks will also cover challenges with red wine making in cool climates, specifically herbaceous aromas and low tannins.
- Rootstock, root restriction and intra-row cover crop effects on regulation of Cabernet Sauvignon vigor and vine size presented by Wolf.
- Effects of vine size regulating treatments on crop yield, fruit chemistry and wine characteristics.
State specialists from OSU/OARDC will also present valuable information covering best viticulture practices by Imed Dami; grape disease management update by Mike Ellis; grape insect management update by Celeste Welty; herbicide management and development and preliminary assessment of a herbicide drift detection system by Doug Doohan; vineyard soil and plant nutrition by Gary Gao; labor issues by Francisco Espinoza; and 2013 season in review by Dave Scurlock.
Additional enology topics covering wine stability and finning; oxygen and sulfur dioxide management strategies; overview of the Ohio Quality Wine (OQW) program; and updates from both Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau and Ohio Division of Liquor Control will be presented in the enology concurrent sessions. Several other presenters will help round out an excellent overall program in both viticulture and enology.
Special passes available for flexibility of the conference to attendees. Passes include: Variety trial workshop pass; one-day conference pass; complimentary student registration (not including meals and flash drive of the proceedings) and conference pass with meal options.
For more information click here.
Source: Ohio State University news release
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