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by Dick Penna, meeting chairperson and chairperson of the Governor's Wine & Grape Advisory Commission Whether you’re a commercial grape grower, back yard grape grower, commercial wine maker, or home wine maker, the MGGA/MWA Annual Meeting will offer valuable and stimulating education and information for your special needs. Mark your calendars for March 1, 2008 for the Maryland Grape Growers Association and Maryland Wineries Association Annual Meeting organized in cooperation with the University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service. Once again, the meeting will be held at the comfortable and spacious Turf Valley Resort in Elliott City, MD. The meeting will offer educational sessions to grape growers, wine makers, winery executives, and those who are interested in growing grapes or starting a winery. The meeting will begin with an informative keynote address by Jim Trezise, the President of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation, the trade group representing that state’s wine and grape industry. He has helped the New York wine and grape industry achieve great recognition through marketing, education, research, and high profile advocates. He is a long-time board member of WineAmerica, a national trade group representing wineries. Jim will reveal how the industry achieved successes in New York and advise us as to how we may achieve similar successes in Maryland. Growers’ sessions will include a discussion of the impact of crop load on fruit quality moderated by noted viticultural consultant Lucie Morton. Joining her in this session will be Dr. Joseph Fiola who will discuss issues involved with sampling and deciding when to harvest. Also on the program will be a session discussing the potential of Pierces disease reaching vineyards in Maryland. North Carolina viticultural researcher Dr. Turner Sutton along with Virginia Tech’s Dr. Douglas Pfeiffer and graduate student Anna Wallingford will discuss the nature of Pierces disease, how it’s spread, what it does to grapevines, it’s slow progress north through Virginia, and what we can do about it if or when it gets to Maryland. Dr. Stephen Menke from Penn State will return for a wine makers’ discussion on alternatives to oak barrels. He’ll discuss the latest on microoxigenation and the use of oak chips and staves in place on oak barrels in commercial wine making. Dr. Gavin Sacks and Justine Varden Heuvel, both from Cornell University, will lead a discussion on dealing with herbaceousness in the winery and vineyard. Their research has focused on this problem and they will provide the latest information.
Experience from past annual meetings indicates that we always attract individuals who are interested in planting a vineyard or starting a winery. The 2008 meeting will offer sessions for these people as well. One session for growers-to-be will outline the economic aspects of planting a vineyard including initial expenses and the current demand for Maryland grapes. It will also provide information on sources of information and how to determine if a particular site would be suitable for growing grapes. The session for those interested in starting a winery will include information on licensing and other legal issues, economic aspects and the contributions that the wine industry makes to the economy of Maryland. Lunch will provide opportunities for renewing acquaintances, discussing local problems, meeting new growers and wine makers, and networking. The sessions conclude with an organized wine tasting of Maryland commercial wines from various parts of the state to demonstrate the contribution that Maryland’s varied terroir offers to making quality wines. Social – Enjoy
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