Conference Program

“From wine marketing, to viticulture and enology, the Eastern Winery Exposition’s program schedule has it all.”

– Sam Filler, Executive Director, New York Wine and Grape Foundation

Highlights of the 2019 program:

A record 35 Conference sessions & Workshop modules with the focus on Enology, Viticulture and Money/Management
Returning EWE Superstars: Tim Benedict, Denise Gardner, Michael Jones, Peter Bell, and more
One Full Day Workshop focusing on Sparkling Wines
A second Full Day Workshop on Managing Microbes to Avoid Spoilage
A third Full Day Workshop on Cold Climate Grapes and Wine
Emphasis on grape & wine issues, with more viticulture & enology sessions
Varietal/Category focus on Re-Thinking Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Dry Rosé
New Enology Topics: Canning Wine or Cider and Formula Wines
Viticulture Focus on New Technology, Defensive Pruning, and Fungal Disease Management in Wet Seasons
Money/Management: Pricing for Profitability, Tips on Tax Reform and the Industry View from Washington, D.C.
30 state and industry associations offering conference registration discounts to their members

Workshops & Conference at a Glance

TUESDAY, MARCH 19 | EWE WORKSHOPS

EWE Workshops provide a full day exploration of a single topic. Choose from one of the three workshops offered or cherry-pick just the sessions you want. Lunch is included.

Workshop 1: Sparkling Wine
W01a | Enologic Tools for Base Wine Preparation
W01b | Traditional Method Champagne Processing #1
W01c | Traditional Method Champagne Processing #2
W01d | Sparkling Variations: Petillant Naturel, Transfer Method & Forced Carbonation
W01e | Packaging & Marketing Sparkling Wines Q&A

Workshop 2: Managing Microbes to Avoid Spoilage
W02a | Microbes & Microbial Management in Winemaking: Overview
W02b | Microbial Fault Sensory #1: Common Off-Flavors
W02c | Sanitation Review and Monitoring Microbes
W02d | Microbial Fault Sensory #2: Oxidation
W02e | Winemakers Roundtable: How They Manage Microbes

Workshop 3: Cold Climate Grapes & Wine
W03a | Top Cold Climate Whites in the Best of New England Wine Competition
W03b | Options for Top Cold Climate Reds: Varietal & Blends
W03c | Enhancing Winter Survival for Marquette
W03d | Maximizing Vine Cold Hardiness at Your Site
W03e | New Cold Climate Grapes

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 & THURSDAY, MARCH 21 | EWE CONFERENCE

Conference sessions are listed below in order by track: Enology, Money/Management, Viticulture and joint Enology/Viticulture.

ENOLOGY / VITICULTURE
EV01 | Winemakers Roundtable: Sauvignon Blanc
EV02 | Winemakers Roundtable: Dry Rosé

MONEY / MANAGEMENT
M01 | WineAmerica: Legislative Update from Washington
M02 | Pricing for Profitability
M02 | How Tax Reform Benefits Vineyards and Wineries

VITICULTURE
V01 | Vineyard Mechanization
V02 | Pruning to Minimize Bud Loss from Spring Frost
V03 | Precision Viticulture with UAV’s (Drones) & Other New Technology
V04 | Pest Update: Spotted Lanternfly
V05 | Re-thinking Cabernet Franc: Viticulture Focus
V06 | Pestalotiopsis: a New Fungal Pathogen
V07 | Disease Management Tools and Strategies in a Wet Growing Season

Conference Manager

Richard Leahy has organized major wine industry conference seminar programs from Pennsylvania to Minnesota since 1997, and has been writing about wines of Virginia and the East since 1986. In 2007 he organized the Virginia Wine Experience in London which brought the top 64 Virginia wines there for leading British wine media and trade to taste. He was a regional editor for Kevin Zraly’s American Wine Guide, and was Mid-Atlantic and Southern Editor for the Oxford Companion to the Wines of North America. He was East Coast Editor of Vineyard & Winery Management for over ten years. He is a member of the Society of Wine Educators and the Circle of Wine Writers. Richard’s book on Virginia wine, Beyond Jefferson’s Vines, now in a second edition, was first published in 2012 by Sterling Publishing. He also has a website and blog focused on wines of the East at www.richardleahy.com.

Program Advisory Board

Thank you to the EWE Program Advisory Board for their input, ideas, feedback, and suggestions that continue to make the EWE Conference stronger every year.

Tim Benedict, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards, New York
Jerry Forest, Buckingham Valley Vineyards, Pennsylvania
Denise Gardner, Denise Gardner Winemaking, LLC
Patty Held, Patty Held Consulting, Missouri
Doug Moorhead, Presque Isle Wine Cellars, Pennsylvania
Lucie Morton, Lucie Morton Consulting, Virginia
Peter Oldak, Jewell Towne Vineyards, New Hampshire
Tom Payette, Tom Payette Wine Consulting, Virginia

Registration

EWE offers flexible registration options so that you can build a program just for you. From a day spent in the exhibit hall to full three days of workshop + conference sessions, networking events, and exhibit hall access, EWE has a pass for you. Registration opens November 15.

The Largest Production Wine and Grape Trade Show and Conference in the East Returns to Syracuse NY

Eastern Winery Exposition | Conference Program