WiVi WOWS AT MARCH GATHERING, - DAY ONE ©

Under the co-hosting umbrella of Wine Business Monthly magazine and Precision Ag Consulting, the first annual WiVi, Wine & Viticulture Symposium and Tradeshow, more easily known as WiVi , kicked off the two day event bright and early on March 19th. The event was also supported by nearly thirty businesses who were participating sponsors. Held at the Paso Robles Event Center, the trade show and sessions filled the two main commercial display buildings with additional exhibitors in a central tented area. Another building housed the finale comparative tasting event. Attendees filled most of the remaining space!

The (paraphrased) stated mission of the effort - which is already in planning for the second annual version - is to present region-specific content and problem solving information via the resources and knowledge available from industry experts and educators as well as Wine Business Monthly and Precision Ag Consulting staff. That includes a wide range of experts in all aspects of the wine trade, from dirt to marketing, primary and continuing educational options and a statistical database on all things wine-ish.

While the focus of this blog is consumer and travel based information, much of the event was related to production and wine making products and services. It was not an event that many of my readers would be likely to attend - but I'll give you some reasons that might change your mind. It is a great way to better understand what all goes into the bottle you open as well as to rub elbows with grape growers and winemakers. There are also tasting events and seminars of more general interest. Even some of the tech based education seminars may relate well to home gardeners who are battling bugs and birds.

This format does not lend itself to long descriptions, though there is a lot to discuss. So, here are some highlights and sound bites of interest to my usual audience. Day one started out with a panel overview of what is happening on the Central Coast in terms of business. Gallo's Sr. Director of Marketing talked about how that company has been increasing brands, production facilities and vineyards in the region. This relates to you, the end user, in ways of which you are probably unaware. First, Gallo is a far different company than the one your parents knew. But they remain the 800 pound gorilla (albeit a more friendly-fuzzy one) in terms of leading trends and marketing, including research and data collection. They have the boots on the ground to do so and have many "graduates" of the system spread throughout the wine world. FYI, Gallo is now 65 brands and growing, covering most market sectors in terms of styles and pricing. Of the thirty largest wine producers, only six make in excess of 10M cases annually and Gallo (72M cs) sells 25% of the 284M cases those thirty represent. It is not uncommon for people to drink and enjoy a Gallo product and not even know it.

So, when Gallo says we on the Central Coast have a long way to go in becoming a market presence, people listen. Simply by reading this blog, you are among the cognoscenti in terms of wine knowledge by regional style. The take-aways of note were; east of the Mississippi, "Central Coast" may mean Tampa or Hilton Head; Syrah is fruit forward, inexpensive Australian wine in a box; California is more label sexy (could be Napa/Sonoma) than Central Coast; they have heard of Monterey (golf) and Santa Barbara (kid looking for cool college), but not Paso Robles or know that the entire area between the first two towns is covered in grape vines - and great wines.

Master Sommelier and Kimpton Hotels wine program director, Emily Wines seconded much of the above. Many of the company's restaurant operations are located in the east. She had surveyed her staff and related some of the responses to, "What is your impression of Central Coast wines". A few were on point and others brought a laugh. But it was obvious that they were neither well known nor thought of as a major factor in their primary market. Both of these presenters provided a good view of what needs to be done to ensure the Central Coast stands out among the 30,000 different wines (by bar code indicators) already on the shelves.

Overall, the state of the business is sound. Last year was generally good across California and saw continued growth in the Central Coast. The area is now at nearly 700 wineries with the state pushing through the 8,000 level being possible this year. Wineries indicate they are putting money into their operations and buying equipment, especially storage and fermentation tanks. They also saw significantly increased sales and profitability in 2012, which looks back to prior vintages, and the year itself was considered a great vintage for quality and quantity.

If wines released in 2012 are an indicator, with more area Wine Spectator Top 100 rated wines than Napa, last year's offerings should be worth the wait. What was grown here for you to enjoy in 2014? Chardonnay was 40% of production with Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir tied for 2nd at 21% each. Further down the line, and even behind Syrah for reds, was Zinfandel. I would recommend you continue to keep that variety from this area on your radar. Also look for Rhone whites and increasingly available experiments with lesser known reds (Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Tempranillo) , and whites such as Albarino.

Then, lunch was served! Offered within the trade show space, it added to the chance to learn more and network with vendor representatives. Since my background is hospitality, I need to give some kudos to local "Cahoots" catering for an excellent job of handling the morning coffee & pastry, delicious (and plentiful) on site lunches and tasting time yummies.

Afternoon sessions were divided into a viticulture series on water usage and an enology section of problem solving in the winery. Panel participants included a well known and respected group of educators and scientists. Many came from the extensive California university system, which presented the PM kick off session "Beautiful Minds" with presenters from several of the schools offering "V&E" (viticulture and enology) degree programs and led by local legend, winery (15th largest) owner, Jerry Lohr. Lowell Zelinski PhD of hosting Precision Ag Consulting also led a general session on the 2012 growing season.

The day ended with a two hour reception and wine tasting. The set up allowed you to taste by AVA, with seven growing areas having pouring tables. Often the labels were changed out as bottles were emptied, allowing the crowd to return for new selections and get a great overview of the wines available and contrast them by growing locale.