NVG Wine & Grape Expo Connects Vineyard Practices to Wine Quality
Doors open at 8 a.m. this Thursday, Nov. 5, for the Napa Valley Grapegrowers’ second annual Wine & Grape Expo, “Connecting Vineyard Practices to Wine Quality,” to be held at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville. NVG president Bruce Phillips said the event was “designed to orient growers and vintners to the latest tools and techniques available to optimize wine quality in the vineyard and winery” and provide them with “insights on topical issues surrounding winegrape and wine quality.”
Highlights of the bi-annual event include eucational presentations given in Spanish and English, guided wine blending trials for growers, a tradeshow with 50 industry leaders featuring new products and services, and outdoor demonstrations. There will also be a 3:30 p.m. wine tasting when, according to NVG event coordinator Jill Durfee, “Everybody gets to raise a glass and celebrate the end of harvest.”
Opus One winemaker Michael Silacci, who is co-chairing the event with grapegrower Sam Turner of Vista Vineyard Management, saluted the NVG for providing educational programs like the Expo in Napa Valley. “This year’s slate is diverse with depth, like an open air market for the mind. We speak often of sustainability in farming, but it is always in relationship to plant, water and soil. We must also make our industry sustainable by continuing to educate all those who leave their fingerprints on our grapes, wine, barrels and bottles,” Silacci said.
Turner noted that it is “extremely important as a grower to understand what it takes to make high quality wine.” He commented that this year’s program appeals to the grower/producer as much as the winemaker or grower.
“A lot of grapegrowers are producing wine so we are trying to help make a more seamless transition between growing grapes and winemaking. We’re going to have a lot of relevant speakers and topics, and it will be a very worthwhile day,” Turner said.
Xavier Choné is an international terroir and wine consultant based in Bordeaux who is working in numerous countries to innovate and establish vineyards for premium quality wines.
Sessions in Spanish, geared to vineyard workers, range from biodynamics to sensory evaluation. Sessions in English include a discussion of how to best use the unique characteristics of winegrapes from aging or diseased vineyards, effective water resource management; understanding the relationship between self-sustaining vineyards and wineries, and tracking aroma compounds to the vineyard.
Pre-registration is required for the guided blending sessions. In these, participants will have the opportunity to learn blending fundamentals from three Napa Valley winemakers: Silacci of Opus One (red wine), Warren Winiarski of Arcadia Vineyards (red wine) and Pam Starr of Crocker and Starr (white wine).
Participants will discover what goes into making a great blend of wine, when blending begins (during harvest, after malolactic fermentation or just before bottling?) and how winemakers visualize the wine that fills the bottle. They will also be able to “evaluate individual components and observe firsthand how the components create harmony or chaos as they are mixed,” Silacci said. Sessions are limited to 30.
Speakers Bring Unique Expertise
Durfee of the NVG said she was excited about this year’s roster of speakers, some of them from other countries and working as consultants. Silacci, too, spoke of their unique contributions: “Different perspectives help us to question ourselves, to maintain a sense of urgency and to sharpen our focus as we tread the leading edge.”
Here is a handful:
Osiris Abrego works as an organic/Demeter biodynamic inspector who works to communicate biodynamic principles for Spanish speakers.
Alexandre Schmitt presents “Fee Fie Foe Fum: Tracking Aroma Compounds in the Vineyard.” With degrees in chemistry and perfumery, he teaches olfaction to professionals at Bordeaux Oenology University. He also helps winemakers in Napa Valley, France, Spain, Chile and Argentina to fine-tune their sense of smell.
Xavier Choné is an expert in plant water relations and soil science with an understanding of viticulture and enology. He works in Napa Valley, France, Morocco, Turkey, Spain, South Africa, Israel and South America. His observation of grapevines growing under diverse climatic and soil conditions gives him a unique viewpoint of the vine.
Groundwater geologist Richard Slone will explain how to share water with people, plants and animals while using it efficiently to enhance the quality of grapes and wines. Though he lives in Southern California, he has an understanding of the aquifers in the Napa Valley and has been involved in the development of many wells.
Panama-born Osiris Abrego works as a Demeter biodynamic inspector and continues to develop her work as a communicator of biodynamic principles for Spanish speakers. She works to create awareness of the value of performing agricultural work with consciousness.