Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/766392
96 WINES&VINES January 2017 UNIFIED SYMPOSIUM 2017 UNIFIED WINE & GRAPE SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE TUESDAY, JAN. 24, 2017 TIME EVENT 7:30 a.m. — 6:30 p.m. Registration 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Keynote Speaker Luncheon Separate registration fee required 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Exploring How Vineyard and Cellar Practices Impact Sauvignon Blanc Style (includes tasting) Joint grapegrowing/winemaking breakout session 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. Finding Value in Sustainability Business/operations breakout session 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Focus, Focus, Focus: Listen to Learn Marketing/public relations breakout session WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25, 2017 TIME EVENT 7:30 a.m. — 6:30 p.m. Registration 8:30 a.m. — 11 a.m. State of the Industry General session 9 a.m. — 6 p.m. Trade show exhibits open 1 p.m. — 2:15 p.m. Not Your Ordinary Yeast: Using Innovated Strains and Fermentation Techniques to Increase Wine Quality and Drive Wine Styles Winemaking breakout session 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. Looking Forward: How Grapevine Clean Plant Strategies Can be Improved Grapegrowing breakout session 1:30 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. The Global Market for Wine Business/operations breakout session 1:30 p.m. — 3:30 p.m. Making the Most of Your Message: Building a Bridge Between Winegrowing, Marketing & PR to Effectively Reach Today's Consumer Marketing and public relations breakout session 2:30 p.m. — 3:45 p.m. Eggs, Uprights, Puncheons and More: Making Your Best Wine in Unusual Containers Winemaking breakout session 4 p.m. — 6 p.m. Regional wine tasting THURSDAY, JAN. 26, 2017 TIME EVENT 8 a.m. — 4 p.m. Registration 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. Trade show exhibits open 9 a.m. — 11:30 a.m. Adapt or Go Extinct: Removing Barriers to Our Industry's Success General session 9 a.m. — 10:30 a.m. Leading-Edge Technology in Grapegrowing and Winemaking General session – presented in Spanish W ith about 14,000 attend- ees, a 170,000-square- foot trade show and two-dozen educational sessions created for a variety of wine industry professionals, the Unified Wine & Grape Sym- posium is a memorable experience for a first- time attendee. Unified organizers have big plans for one such guest. Eric Asimov, chief wine critic for The New York Times, will give the keynote ad- dress that kicks off the annual event, which takes place this year on Jan. 24. While he has never attended the Unified, Asimov's name is well known among the wine industry community for whom the sym- posium is organized in Sacramento, Calif., by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture and the California Association of Winegrape Growers. Asimov joined The New York Times as a news editor in 1984 and started writing a restaurant column in 1992. In 2004 he was named chief wine critic for the paper, where he currently pens three wine columns as well as occasional articles about beer and spirits. Wines of The Times Asimov says he started writing about wine in earnest around 2000, and he cites a major change that has taken place during the inter- vening years: an explosion of availability. "Twenty years ago the wine lists in restau- rants had more resemblance to wine lists of 50 years before than they do to today. We have so many different styles of wine from different places—different grapes that nobody had ever heard of 20 years ago," Asimov marvels. "So the discoveries that continue are amazing, and I think it's the most exciting time ever to really be in love with wine." The diversity isn't limited to far-flung lo- cales such as the Republic of Georgia, either. Asimov says he's had good Rieslings from Michigan, interesting wines from Texas and "some fascinating wines from Vermont." Even in California, home to 80% of domestic wines, the styles being produced are more diverse than they were 10 years ago, he says. "For a long time there were very few inex- pensive or moderately priced wines that were very interesting, and they were always at a Today's 'Amazing' Wine Diversity Critic for The New York Times to give keynote address at Unified By Kate Lavin