Deadline Feb. 23 for Pennsylvania Grape and Wine Industry Winter Conference

The registration deadline is Feb. 23 for the 2022 Pennsylvania Grape and Wine Industry Winter Conference.

The event is presented by the Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Program Board, in close partnership with Penn State Extension.

Held on March 2 and 3 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College, Pennsylvania, this two-day conference is designed especially for wine producers and other stakeholders in Pennsylvania’s grape and wine industry.

Lunch will be provided both days, and each day the event will conclude by 4:30 p.m. A block of rooms has been set aside at the Penn Stater.

Register here. 8:45–9 a.m. Welcome and Conference Overview Jake Gruver, Board Member, Pennsylvania Wine Marketing and Research Program and Co-Owner of Armstrong Valley Vineyard and Winery

9:00–9:30 a.m. Partnerships that Propel PA Wines: Penn State School of Hospitality Management + PA Wines = A Potential Great Pairing, Donna Quadri-Felitti, Ph.D., Marvin Ashner Endowed Director & Associate Professor, School of Hospitality Management, College of Health & Human Development, Penn State University

9:30–10 a.m. Review of Practical Considerations for Under-Trellis Cover Crops, Michela Centinari, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Viticulture, Penn State University

10–10:35 a.m. 20 years of Matching Site and Cultivar at Blank Ankle Vineyards, Ed Boyce, Co-Owner, Black Ankle Vineyards, Mt. Airy, MD

10:35–10:55 a.m. Break

10:55–11:30 a.m. In Aim of Producing Optimal Wine Quality Across Dissimilar Ripening Periods, Josh Grainer, Winemaker, RdV Vineyards, Delaplane, VA

11:30–12:30 a.m. Grower’s Panel: Vineyard Management Strategies to Optimize Vinifera Sustainability, Panelists include Ed Boyce, Josh Grainer, and Jan Waltz, President and Winemaker, Waltz Estate Vineyards. Moderated by Cain Hickey, Ph.D., Viticulture Extension Educator, Penn State University

12:30–1:15 p.m. Lunch, The Gardens Restaurant

1:15–4:30 p.m.

• Sparkling Wine Workshop and Tasting, Moderated by Molly Kelly, Ph.D., Enology Extension Educator, Pennsylvania State University
• Production Overview, Harvest Parameters and Varieties, Bob Green, Winemaker, Presque Isle Wine Cellars, Consultant and Instructor
• Yeast Propagation, Riddling Aids and Disgorgement, Jerry Forest, Co-Owner and Winemaker, Buckingham Winery
• Disgorgement to Final Product, Steve DiFrancesco, Winemaking Consultant, Finger Lakes, NY

8:30–9 a.m. Updates on Clean Plant Availability from NY Vineyards, Marc Fuchs, Ph.D., Professor, Cornell AgriTech, Geneva, NY

9:00–9:30 a.m. Ways to Improve Tannin Content in Wine, Including With Hybrids, and Why it Can Be So Problematic, Misha Kwansiewski, Ph.D., Research Professor, Penn State University

9:30–10 a.m. PA Grape and Wine Industry Marketing Update—PA Wine Association, Trish Brown, General Manager, Paradocx Vineyard

10:30–10:50 a.m. Break

10:50–11:20 a.m. Cultivars in the Commonwealth Web Application, Cain Hickey, Viticulture Extension Educator, Penn State University

11:20 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Update on PA Leafroll Virus and Advances in Leafroll Management in Infected Vineyards, Marc Fuchs and Bryan Hed, Research Technologist, Penn State Lake Erie Grape Research and Extension Center

12:15–1:00 p.m. Lunch, The Gardens Restaurant

1:00–4:00 p.m. Industry Panel and Tasting: Growing, Vinifying, and Marketing Hybrids in PA—Examining Pros and Cons and Fiscal and Commercial Sustainability, Participating Pennsylvania industry stakeholders