Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/670021
9 8 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | M a y - J u n e 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m Beautiful downtown Ashe- ville provided a backdrop to our East Coast conference and trade show, which started with ses- sions and setup on the first day. VESTA instructors Melba Allen (wine sensory evaluation) and Dr. Barry Gump (wine chemistry) began, and a pruning worksop took place at Biltmore Winery, led by Joseph Geller, an instruc- tor at Surry Community College. Participants gained hands-on experience using multiple tech- niques and styles. On day two, the trade show floor opened, featuring wine, craft beer and distilling vendors and suppliers. The day was also packed with an array of wine sessions, including the second half of each VESTA workshop, business-oriented topics includ- ing projecting vineyard cash flows by Tremain Hatch of Vir- ginia Tech and a brand packag- ing panel featuring winemaking consultant Tom Payette, Brad B r u n s o n o r A m o r i m , L i s s a McLaughlin of All American Container and label expert Don Wright of Wright Global Graphics. Viticulture topics featured crop load management with S u r r y C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e 's Geller and whether or not crop load adjustment pays with Dr. Justine Vanden Heuvel of Cor- n e l l U n i v e r s i t y ( h e r a s s e s s - ment was that, according to her research on the East Coast, the answer is no). Enology subjects included extracting quality using enzymes with Peter Salamone of Laffort USA and develop- ing a quality alliance program for North Carolina wines with Dr. Seth Cohen of Appalachian State University. Craft Beer topics included equipment design with Steve Parkes of American Brewers G u i l d , u n d e r s t a n d i n g i n t e l - lectual property with Angela Doughty of Ward & Smith, P.S., and acidity analysis with Jamie Bogner of Craft Beer & Brew- ing magazine as well as a panel of experts on the subject. They noted that the term "sour" is misleading, as it refers to the acid in the beer. Friday finished off the confer- ence and trade show and includ- ed viticulture topics such as converting training systems with Tremain Hatch of Virginia Tech, a panel discussion regarding Southeastern varieties with Cor- nell's Dr. Vanden Heuvel, Hatch, and Geller. Venden Heuvel also s p o k e o n v i n e y a r d m a n a g e - Craft Beverages Unlimited East Asheville, N.C., Feb. 10 to 12, 2016 1 2 4 6 3 5