December 5, 2017 Napa, CA–This year’s Napa Vintage Report will be held on January 18, 2018, at the Westin Verasa in Napa, California. Look forward to a day of learning and communicating with the world’s leading winemakers, viticulturists, and scientific researchers.
The 2017 vintage in Napa was marked by an exceptionally wet winter followed by the warmest temperatures on record. This set the stage for extremes in vine response and ripening conditions. The intensity of heat waves shaped and sometimes slowed down the 2017 maturation profiles. Finally, the late-season wildfires gave a tragic end to an already challenging vintage.
During the Vintage Report, we will take a scientific look at the 2017 growing season in Napa and discuss the impact on vineyard performance. We will review the effect of climate on plant development and discuss how this influenced vine and fruit physiology. Specifically we will discuss the implications of smoke-related issues and how this can impact wine quality. The Napa Vintage Report will showcase a novel analysis of ripening dynamics that will shed light on berry chemical changes and the effect of harvest timing on wine composition. The event’s scientific presentations will also touch on different color extraction techniques and the corresponding effects on wine composition.
The Vintage Report will host a panel discussion involving vineyard managers and winemakers from across the region to speak about their knowledge of best practices in the context of the 2017 growing year. As part of the Vintage Report’s analysis, Greg Jones of Linfield College will be delivering the State of the Climate and dive into up-to-date projections for 2018. Finally, we will close out the symposium with a group discussion on the 2012 harvest and look at practical results five years after the release of that vintage.
The Napa Vintage Report is an excellent space to meet other winemakers and winegrowers and discuss these topics. Early Bird tickets are still available for the event and can be found at:
https://www.vintagereport.com/en/napa-2017#attendForm
About the Vintage Report
Since 2010, the Vintage Report has brought together scientists, winemakers and industry leaders from all over the world to discuss the previous year’s harvest in light of the most recent scientific findings. This is a constructive event that interacts with attendees by asking the question: How can the lessons of the previous harvest be utilized to improve vineyard practices and wine quality? The Vintage Report creates a platform to foster technical discussions as well as a deep dive into the wine industry’s most innovative vineyard solutions. Considering the event’s scope, the Vintage Report is open to cellar and vineyard professionals including winemakers, vineyard managers, viticulturist, assistant winemakers and winery owners. In addition to Napa, the Vintage Report will hold conferences in Paso Robles, Sonoma, Oregon Bordeaux, Provence, and Burgundy.
