Wine business trade show coming to Paso Robles

WiVi Central Coast 2014

Attendees at WiVi Central Coast 2014 can learn from viticulture, enology and marketing sessions presented by some of today’s top industry leaders, as well as browse products and services offered by more than 100 wine industry suppliers.

“We have a lot of exciting things happening this year – it will be educational, interactive and innovative,” said WiVi Director Becky Zelinski.

The symposium will include two days of sessions, March 19-20 at the Paso Robles Event Center in Paso Robles; topics include in depth and timely discussions on topics specific to the Central Coast wine business. A departure from last year, the 2014 trade show will be open one day only, March 20 from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Attendees registering by March 1 will receive an early-bird discount on tickets. Additional discounts on session passes and free trade show passes are available to members of Central Coast wine industry trade associations.

WiVi 2014 sessions will open with a Vintage Updates & Outlook General Session. There will be three educational tracks providing the latest information on wine making, grape growing and direct-to-consumer issues. Topics range from wine club management to canopy management, to a varietal focus tasting for winemakers.

The second annual meeting is presented through a partnership between the industry’s leading trade publication, Wine Business Monthly, and Paso Robles-based viticulture consulting company, Precision Ag Consulting. The businesses launched the show in 2013 to provide an educational and networking forum for the Central Coast wine industry.

“We have a lot of new and exciting changes planned for WiVi 2014,” said co-owner/host, Lowell Zelinski of Precision Ag Consulting. “Our collaboration with Wine Business Monthly has allowed us to create a tool for the Central Coast wine industry that never existed before: a premiere symposium and trade show that provides educational support and local access to suppliers. Last year was a success but we intend to make it bigger and better every year.”

This year’s changes include the addition of the direct-to-consumer sessions, and tickets that allow attendees to purchase passes for individual sessions. There will also be a Launch Party for exhibitors and session attendees on Wednesday evening, more product demonstrations on the trade show floor, and a wine and beer garden on Thursday. For a complete schedule, exhibitor directory and tickets go to www.wivicentralcoast.com.

Varietal Focus Tasting

Back by popular demand will be the Varietal Focus Tasting hosted by winemaker Lance Cutler. The Varietal Focus series is one of the most popular features in the magazine where Cutler and a panel of winemakers compare a variety from three different regions. WiVi makes the pages of the magazine come to life as Central Coast winemakers can now experience the tasting live. This year the focus will be on Grenache from the Sonoma, Sierra Foothills and Central Coast appellations comparing wines made in the French and Spanish styles. Tickets for this unique tasting are included with the Premium WiVi passes or can be added to any session pass for $50/pp.

WiVi is the latest tool for the Central Coast wine industry providing a place for them to gather for an unprecedented collection of industry suppliers, product demonstrations, networking opportunities and seminars on viticulture, enology and marketing addressing issues facing the Central Coast.