Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/573907
October 2015 WINES&VINES 23 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS wine seminars, networking, grower and winery visits, wine tastings and blog- ging. The announcement that the event will take place in Lodi occurred dur- ing this year's conference in the Finger Lakes wine region of New York. For more details, visit wine- bloggersconference.org. NORTHWEST New director of Red Mountain Alliance Jennifer Nance is the new executive director of the Red Mountain AVA Alli- ance in Benton City, Wash. Nance will be responsible for planning and imple- menting a communications strategy to promote the Red Mountain AVA as an ideal appellation for Cab- ernet Sauvignon-based wines. Nance is the former manager of direct-to-con- sumer operations for a na- tionally distributed winery and Northwest account ex- ecutive for a Napa, Calif.- based marketing firm. Nance replaces Heather Unwin, who retired in June to focus on her consult- ing and teaching career, according to a statement from the alliance. Walla Walla home to 2,836 vineyard acres An assessment of the Walla Walla Valley AVA in Wash- ington and Oregon found the appellation is home to 2,836 acres of planted vineyards, of which 36.6% is Cabernet Sauvignon. The report, organized by the Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance and the website everyvine.com, also found 57% of all planted acreage is on the Oregon side of the appellation. After Cabernet Sauvignon, the other top varieties and percentage of total vineyard acre- age were: Syrah, 17.3%; Merlot, 17.1%; Cabernet Franc, 5.7%, and Malbec 4.4%. Winery seeks to raise funds through stock offer Willamette Valley Vineyards in Turner, Ore., is offering a preferred stock, providing wine enthusiasts a chance to gain a small ownership stake that provides special winery access and pre- ferred pricing on wines, as well as a cumulative 5.3% dividend at its initial $4.15 share price. According to a news release announc- ing the offering, the stock is available to Oregon and Washington residents to fund the construction of two new small Oregon wineries within the recently announced Oregon Es- tate Vineyards portfolio. The winery is offering a minimum purchase of 300 shares at $4.15 each (or $1,245 total), and a maximum of 1,205 shares for $5,000.75. A total of 1,445,783 shares of pre- ferred stock are registered with the federal Securities Exchange Commission, and the company plans to raise up to $6 million in the transaction. CENTRAL Texas A&M's Ed Hellman honored Texas A&M AgriLife Exten- sion Service viticulturist Dr. Ed Hellman received the Outstanding Exten- sion Educator Award from the American Society for Horticultural Science at its annual meeting in Au- gust. Hellman is based in Lubbock, Texas, and has served on the board of the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association as well as the group's educa- tion committee for many years. The Outstanding Ex- tension Educator Award is for being a national leader in viticulture extension. EAST Ventosa wins N.Y. Governor's Cup New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul presented the 2015 Governor's Cup to Ventosa Vineyards of Geneva, N.Y., for its 2011 Lemberger in an August ceremony in Canandaigua, N.Y. The Governor's Cup award is a large silver chalice, recog- nizing the Best of Show or top prize from 910 entries in the annual New York Wine & Food Classic competition organized by the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. Call Toll Free: 800-POS-1290 We Pair Well Sell From Anywhere, Manage it Everywhere! Use your mobile device to process transactions, print and email receipts, while tracking sales and inventory. www.alainfouquet.com alainfouquet@aol.com AlainFouquet_Aug06 5/17/06 10:57 AM Page 1