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winemaking 80 Wines&Vines January 2015 F rom the technical to the stylistic, the use of oak in winemaking will be the focus of the upcoming Wines & Vines Oak Conference to be held Feb. 11 in Napa, Calif. Registration is now open for the conference, which will fea- ture several expert panel discussions and technical tastings as well as a seminar about seismic safety incorporating lessons learned from the Aug. 24 earthquake in Napa Valley. The conference includes breakfast, lunch and a trade show with more than 30 exhibitors ranging from coopers to oak barrel alternative pro- ducers and other wine industry suppliers. The conference will take place at 500 W. First St. in the building that originally housed the Copia center. Wines & Vines used the same building to host its inaugural wine packaging conference, which will return Aug. 19, 2015. David Ramey to speak Winemaker David Ramey will share his insights about bar- rels and oak aging, based on what he calls 35 years of trial and error. Ramey, who made wine for top properties includ- ing Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill and Dominus as well as founding Ramey Wine Cellars, will talk about cooper selec- tion and how to choose, prepare, use and store barrels. Ramey knows how far the understanding of oak barrels in winemaking has progressed in his long tenure as a wine- maker. He recalls that early in his career the standard for Focus on Oak in Winemaking Wines & Vines Oak Conference to feature latest research and best practices By Wines & Vines Staff preparing barrels included a soda ash treatment, followed by repeated hot water rinses. This progressed to just the hot water, and eventually to nothing except a quick cold water rinse. Ramey says he will divulge a few techniques for barrel preparation and use that he normally only shares with his consulting clients. His views about the importance of the oak forest and the level of toast are controversial, and his method of keeping used barrels "sweet" for the next fill is antithetical to many. But what he has learned about these steps as well as barrel fermentation, lees contact and Brett control has helped him make some of Califor- nia's most celebrated wines. The session following Ramey's presentation will be a panel discussion featuring Janet Myers of Franciscan Estate and other veteran winemakers detailing how they clean and maintain barrels in their cellars. The session will provide practical information as well as discussion about the merits of various treat- ments such as steam, ozone and other barrel- maintenance technology. James Kennedy on oak and tannin Dr. James A Kennedy, professor and chair of the California State University, Fresno, Depart- ment of Viticulture and Enology, will present the latest research findings about oak and tan- nin. Kennedy's presentation will be followed by Dr. Andrei Prida, director of research and development for Seguin Moreau cooperage. Prida will discuss the correlation between the compounds extracted from wood and the sen- sory perception of wines aged in barrels. Don Neel, editor of the Practical Winery & Vineyard section in Wines & Vines, will moder- David Ramey will share barrel insights. The Wines & Vines Oak Conference will be held Feb. 11. KEY POINTs A one-day conference and trade show Feb. 11 in Napa, Calif., will educate winemakers about oak products and best practices. Researchers and veteran winemakers will share recommendations regarding barrels and add-ins. Two technical tastings will display winery trials with innovative barrels and oak adjuncts.