Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/333548
B R O U G H T T U B Y B R O Y B Y B Y B Y U T H G U R O B R B R O B O B R B R B R B Y R B Y U G O B B R he 38th annual Wineries + Breweries Unlimited con- ference and trade show (formerly known as Wineries Unlim- ited) was held March 11-14 at the Greater Richmond Convention Cen- ter in Richmond, Va. The event drew attendees and exhibitors from the East and beyond, eager to connect with each other and learn about the latest industry issues, innovations and products. The spirit of collaboration preva- lent in eastern wine regions was highlighted during the Wine Indus- try Newcomers session on March 11, led by Chris Pearmund, owner and winemaker of Pearmund Cel- lars in Virginia. "We shouldn't have secrets, we should have passion," he said. Jay Youmans MW, educational director and owner of Capital Wine School in Washington, D.C., followed up with an overview of wine industry trends. There is increasing accep- tance of locally produced wines, he noted, and more experimentation with different grape varieties and styles of wines. However, chardonnay and cab- ernet are still top sellers in the U.S. market. "You need to know what people are drinking who are coming to your winery," Youmans said, advis- ing attendees to pay attention to the flavor profiles of what's selling. While chardonnay and cabernet may not be the best choices for some eastern regions, wineries may find success with varieties that have similar fla- vors. He recommended that eastern vintners taste wines from around the world to gain perspective, and offer a range of wines to appeal to different consumer tastes. Youmans went on to predict a continued shortage of grapes at the local level, but noted that using out- of-state grapes can create ill will with consumers. In the General Session on March 12, a multistate panel of experts dis- cussed issues affecting their regions. Donniella Winchell, director of the Ohio Wine Producers Associa- tion. addressed the grape shortage in Ohio, and "fake wineries" using concentrate instead of grapes. "We need to stop them from defining themselves as wineries," she said, citing a beauty salon/"winery" as an example. Legalizing wine sales at farmers markets is also high on the list of goals for the state's vintners. "Excise taxes are going to come up in a very big way," predicted Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation. "I'm not sure when, but we could find out after it's too late to do something about it." Freezing weather created extreme challenges for New York growers this year, with temperatures dropping to -18°F in some areas. (In April, following the conference, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared the Finger Lakes region a disaster area.) In sunnier news, a recently released report found that the eco- nomic impact of New York's wine industry has reached $4.8 billion, and the state's vintners recently won the right to sell wine at farmers markets. While some vintners may view the explosive growth of craft beer and spirits sales as competition, Trez- ise said he embraces the trend as something wineries can take part in. "Cooperation is better than conflict," he said. Annual conference and trade show returns to Virginia T O Y O U O U O Y O Y O T U Y O T O O U Y Scene at: (f (f 9 0 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J u l y - A u g 2 014 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m