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December 2015 WINES&VINES 45 UNIFIED PREVIEW A n expanded lineup of winemaking and grapegrowing sessions as well as a keynote address from Fred Franzia are expected to be the high- lights of the 2016 Unified Wine & Grape Sym- posium. The event, scheduled for Jan. 26-28 in Sacramento, Calif., is the largest professional wine industry gathering in North America, drawing more than 14,000 attendees each year. Tom Collins, chair for the Unified Program Development Committee and assistant profes- sor at the Washington State University Wine Science Center in Richland, shared with Wines & Vines a preview of what is in store for the annual gathering at the Sacramento Conven- tion Center. In addition to choosing topics and panelists for the various sessions held during Unified, the 30-member program committee is tasked with selecting a speaker for the key- note luncheon, which will be held Jan. 26 in the ballroom of the Sheraton Grand Sacra- mento Hotel. Past speakers have included Jerry Baldwin (director of Peet's Coffee & Tea and co-founder of Starbucks Corp.) and Rick Tigner, CEO of Jackson Family Wines. "We're always looking for speakers that are going to be a terrific draw, and I don't think there is any doubt that people are going to want to hear what Fred Franzia has to say. He's so well known in the industry and has such great experience," Collins said. "He says what's on his mind." Collins added that, in terms of guidance for the keynote address, the program committee usually asks the speaker to share their thoughts on where the wine and grape industry is going and what issues will be important in the future. KEY POINTS Answering attendees' requests for more winemaking and grapegrowing sessions during the annual Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, the Program Development Committee revived panel discussions on the final day of the conference. Bronco Wine Co. founder Fred Franzia will deliver a keynote speech at the annual luncheon held on the first day of Unified. The general session on the final day of the symposium will look at the future of industry: from the vineyard to the winery to sales and marketing. Unified Symposium Program Includes Extra Sessions Fred Franzia to address where the wine industry is headed in keynote speech By Kate Lavin The combined winemaking and grapegrowing tasting session for 2016 will focus on Chardonnay and have increased focus on grapegrowing practices.