PSU Wine Grape Network

Regional Calendar 2005

Mark L. Chien
Extension Agent, Wine Grape Agent, Lancaster County

This will be updated periodically. Please call me if you have questions about any of these events. If you know of an event that is not listed here and you would like publicized, please let me know. (717.394.6851)

January

4 Crop Insurance Education.

Yates Co. Office Building, Penn Yan, NY. 9 a.m. to noon. Maybe you think you have had enough of 'Crop Insurance' for one season, and the crop insurance sign-up has already passed anyway. There are other options, however, beside multi-peril (standard) crop insurance, however, that might be better suited to some types of operations. Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) and AGR-lite are two programs that insure gross receipts, rather than specific types of grapes. We will discuss these as well as MPCI as risk management strategies. If the details for sign up of crop disaster assistance are known by that time, we will also include a session on how to apply for it. Call (315) 536-5134 for information.

11 - 12 Juice and Wine Analysis Short Course.

The Wine/Enology-Grape Chemistry Group at VA Tech will offer a two-day juice and wine analysis short course. Food Science and Technology Building at VA Tech in Blacksburg. This program will be a hands-on, practically oriented laboratory course for beginners and those desiring to 'brush up' on lab skills. It will be conducted in the teaching laboratory of the Food Science and Technology Building at Virginia Tech. Cost is $250 per person. Registration deadline is December 15. Contact Terry Rakestraw at rakestr@vt.edu. See http://www.vtwines.info/ for more information. Supplemental text and reading is recommended.

13 Wine Grape Session of the New Jersey Horticulture Society.

Meeting at the Borgata Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City from 1-4 p.m. Topics focus on developing new vineyards. Contact Gary Pavlis at Rutgers Cooperative Extension for information and registration. (609) 625-0056.

21 Long Island Ag Forum Viticulture Session at Suffolk Community College in Riverhead, NY.

8:45 am to noon. Featured topics include vinifera varieties and clones, bird and deer control and nutritional analysis for vines. Call Linda Holm at 631.727.7850 x341 for info and registration.

21 Successful Fermentation – Basic Must and Wine Analysis Workshop No. 2.

NYSAES in Geneva at the Cornell Vinification and Brewing Lab. 8:30 to 5:30. The focus will be on using different wine and juice analysis procedures to improve overall knowledge of quality control. Instructors are Gragana Dimitrijevic, Ben Gavitt and Thomas Henick-Kling. Registration fee is $100 and due by Jan 19. Limited to 15. Please contact Nancy Long at NPL1@cornell.edu or 315.787.2288.

22 - 23 Getting a Vineyard Started at Linden Vineyards in Linden, VA.

Wine grower Jim Law offers a series of excellent practical, commercial level and high quality workshops on a variety of grape growing and wine making topics. The first day is designed for those new to grape growing or thinking about starting a vineyard and covers site and variety selection, planting, trellis, first year care and economics. Day 2 is devoted to Keeping Vines and Grapes Healthy includes disease and weed control, cover crops and insects. For information and registration, visit the Linden web site at www.lindenvineyards.com.

26 - 29 Virginia Grown Conference.

Annual meeting of the Virginia Vineyard Association in Richmond, VA. In cooperation with Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension. Always a great program focusing on practical viticulture with a small trade show. Visit their web site for more information at www.virginiavineyardsassociation.com

February

Maryland Pruning Clinics.

Three pruning clinics will be held in Maryland – Upper Marlboro Research Center, WMREC and Safe Arbor Vineyard in Henderson. Check the MGGA web site for dates, time and directions at www.marylandwine.com/mgga or contact Bob White at 410.374.3227

10 Juice and Wine Filtration Workshop sponsored by Virginia Tech.

10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Food Science and Technology Bldg in Blacksburg. Hands-on practical workshop with advanced program involving technical discussions and sensory evaluations of wines filtered by various means. More information at http://vtwines.info

20 - 22 Ohio Grape and Wine Short Course at Geneva-on-the-Lake in Ohio.

This is a comprehensive workshop on viticulture and enology with marketing, wine tastings and special events. Dr. Paul Skinner from Terra Spase in Napa Valley will talk about vineyard soils. There will be a special workshop for new growers held on February 20. For more information, visit the Ohio Wine Producers web site at http://www.ohiowines.org or contact Dr. Imed Dami at OSU at (330) 263-3882.

March

4 - 5 Finger Lakes Grape Growers Convention and Trade Show at the Holiday Inn in Waterloo, NY.

Many topics in wine grape production include research and grower presentations. Trade show. For more information, call 315.536.5134 or visit www.cce.cornell.edu/programs/finger-lakes-grape

5 Maryland Grape Growers’ Association Annual Meeting at the Howard County Fairgrounds.

An all day program titled “Growing Quality” focusing on viticulture topics relevant to Maryland and Mid-Atlantic growers. Jim Law from Linden Vineyards will be a speaker. The MD Secretary of Ag will be attending. Visit www.marylandwine.com/mgga or contact Bob White at 410.374.3227 for information.

19 Grape Expectations at the Forsgate Country Club in Jamesburg, NJ.

8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. is a day long symposium of viticulture, enology and marketing presentations designed to present new and relevant information for professionals and amateurs involved in wine production. Mr. Kevin Chambers, owner of Oregon Vineyard Supply and a grower in Oregon is the invited speaker. Fee is $75 and includes a tasting of NJ wines. For information, please contact Dr. Gary Pavlis at 609.625.0056.

April

5 - 8 34TH New York Wine Industry Workshop at the Lakefront Ramada in Geneva, NY.

An annual enology learning event that features wine making sessions. For more information, go to www.nysaes.cornell.edu/fst/faculty/henick/wiw

June

Virginia summer vineyard meeting series.

Virginia summer vineyard meeting series with VA Tech extension and research personnel including tours of vineyards, current situation updates and specific viticulture topics. Look for designated sites and information in future updates of this calendar and on the VVA web site – www.virginiavineyardsassociation.com

11 Maryland Grape Growers’ Association Summer Field Day at Copernica Vineyard in Carroll County.

Practical viticulture information for Mid-Atlantic grape growers. Visit www.marylandwine.com/mgga or contact Bob White at 410.374.3227 for information.

26 Vineyard Management class at Linden Vineyards in Linden, VA.

Wine grower Jim Law offers a series of excellent practical, commercial level and high quality workshops on a variety of grape growing and wine making topics. The focus of this session is the finer points of day to day management in a producing vineyard including canopy management, training, vine nutrition and pruning. Go to the Linden web site for information and registration www.lindenvineyards.com

August

5 or 12 Viticulture in-service for regional cooperative extension agents at the VA Tech Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Winchester, VA..

A full day training workshop for ag agents interested in working with wine grapes. Contact Tony Wolf, Joe Fiola or Mark Chien for information. Open to extension agents. Exact date and information TBA.

13 and 14 Winemaking Basics and Advanced Winemaking at Linden Vineyards in Linden, VA.

Wine grower Jim Law offers a series of excellent practical, commercial level and high quality workshops on a variety of grape growing and wine making topics.

Other

Virginia - http://www.vaes.vt.edu/winchester/grape/meetings.html

Cornell University, NY (enology) - http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/fst/faculty/henick/

Virginia Tech, VA (viticulture) - http://www.vaes.vt.edu/winchester/grape/

Virginia Tech (enology) - http://www.vtwines.info/

Surry Community College, NC - http://www.surry.edu

Please contact me if you are aware of other events in the region of interest to wine growers.