Schedule

Guest sign-in and registration, Grand Hall

Breakfast bar available.

Vendor Display floor opens, Grand Hall

Symposium Welcome, Grand Hall

Dr. David Shockley | President, Surry Community College

Surry Community College’s president will welcome attendees and kick off the start of the symposium.

Speaker One, Grand Hall

Dr. Deborah Aller | Senior Extension Associate at Cornell University

Opportunities for Biochar in the Vineyard

Biochar is a charcoal-like material produced from organic waste materials via a process called pyrolysis. It is a highly stable carbon rich product that acts as a long-lasting soil amendment with numerous potential agronomic and environmental benefits. Biochar is being used in viticulture globally and has been shown to improve productivity through improved plant and soil health without negatively impacting grape quality or wine flavor. The diversity of biochars, however, means it’s not a one size fits all product and must be applied to the right soils to address a resource concern. This presentation will provide an overview of biochar, impacts observed to vineyards across different geographic regions, and practical insights into its application in perennial crop systems.

Vendor Break, Grand Hall

Featuring Scott Labs

Speaker Two, Grand Hall

Eric Patterson | Cultural Anthropology Ph.D student, University of California-Davis

Bottling Creativity: Artisanal Ethos in Emergent “Winescapes”

In recent years, emerging wine regions around the world have been making their mark on the industry with their innovative approaches and unique expressions of viticulture and oenology. This talk delves into the vibrant tapestry of creativity and the artisanal ethos that are redefining wine cultures. A “winescape” is more than just a wine region, it delves into untapped explorations at the intersection of local culture, expressions of terroir, economic dynamics, and the global discourses within Viticulture and Enology. By mixing theory from the social sciences with fieldwork done in the Yadkin Valley AVA and regions throughout China, we will map out the importance of creativity as it traverses the entirety of the winemaking process—from the vineyards to the winery, right up to the tasting room.

Lunch, Grand Hall

Featuring Wright Labels

Speaker Three, Grand Hall

Fiona Mak | Owner, SMAK Wines

Creative First: How a niche winery became the first Asian woman owned wine brand in Washington state

Being the first of anything requires a lot of creativity. There are often no guide maps and no exact framework that will reflect your individual brand. How do you create a winery from nothing? What do you do to attract new customers? In this session you will hear from Fiona S. Mak, the first Asian woman winery owner in Washington state. She will share her experiences on breaking rules and using her background and lifestyle to channel everyday imagination into her winery while disrupting the norm of Rosé drinking.

Vendor Break, Grand Hall

Featuring Double A Vineyards

Speaker Four, Grand Hall

Reggie Leonard II | Co-Founder, Oenoverse

Fueling the Future: Wine, Community, and Possibility

What if we haven't lived in the best version of the world, yet? What if that's because we haven't conspired to build it? What if we did? Join Reggie, co-founder of Oenoverse, for an interactive session that transcends state lines. With a focus on replicable strategies, this interactive session will equip attendees to walk away with actionable ideas to create positive change, build sustainable communities, and be a part of building a more sustainable wine future.

Educational Breakout Session

Breakout Viticulture Speaker

Breakout Enology Speaker

Networking, Winery

Featuring Surry Cellars Wine

Join us for a special networking session to engage with other members of the Southeastern Wine Industry to share ideas, wine, and build valuable connections. This event will be held in the Teaching Winery within the SBVE building and will feature wines made by the students at Surry Community College poured by faculty and staff. Join us for a valuable peer to peer experience.

Grand Wine Tasting, Grand Hall

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Join us in the Grand Hall as the sun sets for featured wines from our Southeastern Partner Wineries. Food pairings will include local cheeses, breads, fruits, vegetables, chocolates, and truffles. We will also have soups and hors d'oeurves. This is a featured networking event for our attendees!

Featuring 10 great Southeastern wineries and exquisite food.

Grand Wine Tasting, Grand Hall

Closing remarks