| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Tom Uribes Feb. 8, 2002 (559) 278-2795 or 261-6189 Barrel Symposium For Fresno State In May Features Top Wine Industry Speakers A Barrel and Barrel Alternatives Symposium featuring worldwide experts on winemaking and the importance of oak in the winemaking process will be hosted by California State University, Fresno May 6-8 in the Satellite Student Union. April 15 is the preregistration deadline for the symposium, which will feature such industry giants as Dr. James Swan of Great Britain, Andy Waterhouse from UC Davis, and Dr. Richard Gawel of Australia for the educational event organized by Fresno State's own world-renowned winemaster Kenneth Fugelsang and wine analytical chemist Dr. Barry Gump. More than 250 participants - winery principals, winemakers and their staffs, as well as educators and students - from California and other wine-producing states are expected for this three-day event sponsored by Fresno State's Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC) and Department of Viticulture and Enology with support from industry sponsors. Fugelsang, one of the educational event's organizers, said national and international authorities will present their perspectives on the importance of oak in the winemaking process with topics ranging from traditional issues to emerging technology. Sessions will be directed toward winemakers and those involved in the wine and grape industry. "We believe that programs such as this play a crucial role in the continuing education of our winemakers," said Fugelsang, who is also an enology professor at Fresno State and serves on the organizing committee along with Gump, Fresno State chemistry professor. Previously successful educational events include the Wine and Juice Production Workshop held in Dulles, VA in 1997 and Wine Spoilage Microbiology Conference held on the Fresno State campus in 1996. Technical presentations, panel discussions and educational wine tastings plus a tour of the university's award-winning winery, and a reception in the new barrel house are among the program activities. "We have a great line-up of speakers from all over the world - Europe, Australia, the Midwest and California - to provide an exceptional balance of research-based and practical information," said Gump. "The industry and winemaker panels will provide unique opportunities to complement the technical information being presented." Registration and exhibits are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. on May 6 at the Satellite Student Union followed by lunch and a keynote address by Dr. James Swan, who will discuss the use of oak in developing flavor and structure. Swan is senior partner at Tatlock and Thomson, an independent United Kingdom-based international consultancy with more than 100 years of service to the wine, distilling, brewing and water industries. His areas of expertise include maturation in oak wood, product quality, blending and sensory evaluation. Swan's presentation is being sponsored by World Cooperage Company, producers of American and French oak barrels for the wine industry headquartered in Missouri. The copmany recently donated a 1,600 sq. ft. barrel house and oak barrels to Fresno State that will be dedicated as part of the event's activities. Following Swan, three foresters will share their perspectives on management of oak forests. Msr. Jimmy Beteau, technical director of Boise' France, will discuss terroir (microecology of the tree -- soil, drainage, temperature, sunlight) and its implication in oak extraction as it relates to French oak forests. Dr. Tom Schmidt, research scientist for the U.S. Forest Service in Minnesota, and Dr. Lynn Barnickol, forestry program supervisor for the Missouri Department of Conservation, will discuss similar issues relating to North American oak forests. The first day will be culminated with a cooper's panel, moderated by Ed Schultz of Barrel Associates International (Napa). Panel members, who will present their views on how coopers utilize their experience and skills to select oak wood and produce quality barrels, include such representatives and consultants from leading barrel companies as Phil Burton of Barrel Builders in Healdsburg; Steve Tillman of Mendocino Cooperage in Hopland; and Henry Work, a cooperage consultant from Calistoga. At the end of the technical session, participants will adjourn to the university's award-winning winery on campus for a reception and grand opening of the new World Cooperage Barrel House at Fresno State's winery. On Tuesday, May 7, the Satellite Student Union doors will open at 7:30 a.m. to begin day two of the symposium. Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, professor of enology and viticulture at the University of California at Davis, will start the day with a presentation on the effects of toasting vs. tannin and volatile composition in wood cooperage. A red winemaker's panel, moderated by Don Neel, publisher of Practical Winery and Vineyard magazine, will examine creative uses of barrels in the development of wine styles and include a wine tasting of selected red wines. Jeff Cohn of Rosenblum Cellars in Alameda, Jim Moore of Uvaggio D'Giacomo in Napa, and Fred Scherrer of Scherrer Winery in Sebastopol will participate on this panel. In the afternoon, Dr. James Vahl and Leighton Richards of the Winemaker's Database in Soquel, will lead a discussion on barrel tracking and management tools, followed by a presentation on barrel sanitation by Dr. Christian Butzke, cooperative extension enologist for UC, Davis. Butzke also will lead a panel on the use of ozone in winemaking. On Wednesday, May 8, day three of the symposium will resume at 7:30 a.m. in the Satellite Student Union and focus on barrel alternatives, oak enhancements, texture profiling of red wine and the management and practical issues of micro oxygenation of wines. Dr. Jeff McCord, of StaVin in Sausalito, will kick off the morning's theme with a presentation on barrel alternatives followed by a panel including Brian Geagan, Xtra Oak in Santa Rosa, Bob Rogers, Innerstave in Sonoma, and Steve Passagno, Lockwood in Lockwood. Internationally known Dr. Richard Gawel, director of Recognose Pty Ltd. in Australia, will discuss the usefulness of sensory profiling in quantifying the "in-mouth" textural characteristics of red wine. The use of the technique in both applied enological research and that of understanding the role of tannin composition on wine texture will be described, said Gawel. The program will allow time each day for participants to visit industry sponsor exhibits. The symposium will conclude on May 8. This event will be held at the
Satellite Student Union located on the northeast part of the Fresno State
in Central California. The Piccadilly Inn University is offering a special
discount rate of $72 plus tax per night on lodging for those who attend
the conference. Advance reservations for lodging are required by April 15.
### EDITORS and NEWS/PUBLIC AFFAIRS
DIRECTORS: Press releases can be downloaded at www.fresnostatenews.com.
University Relations also provides releases for news media companies via
e-mail. To be added to the distribution list, send your e-mail address to
tomu@csufresno.edu. |