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Schedule

Welcome to the 13th annual Southeastern United Grape and Wine symposium.

Symposium Schedule

Thursday, November 20 th , 2025

Time: 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

  • 8:00 AM

    Guest Sign-In and Registration, Grand Hall

  • 8:30 AM

    Vendor Display Floor Opens, Grand Hall

  • 9:00 AM

    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.

  • 9:15 AM

    Speaker One, Grand Hall

    Paul Wagner | Instructor, Viticulture and Winery Technology Department - Napa Valley College

    Facts Tell; Stories Sell

    When it comes to wine, the stories you tell and how well you deliver them might make the difference between success and failure in the wine industry. Paul Wagner has led multiple workshops and advised some of the world's top wine companies on how to use storytelling to elevate consumer experiences. In his session, Paul will lead us through the steps to put together an engaging sales presentation—and promises to tell quite a few memorable stories along the way!

  • 10:30 AM

    Vendor Break, Grand Hall

  • 11:00 AM

    Speaker Two, Grand Hall

    Jodi Songer Driedger | Director of Undergraduate Programs for North Carolina State University's Horticultural Science Department

  • 12:15 PM

    Lunch, Grand Hall

  • 1:30 PM

    Speaker Three, Grand Hall

    Dr. Sarah Lowder | Extension Viticulture Specialist and Assistant Professor of Horticulture for University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

    Dr. Drew Harner | Assistant Professor of Viticulture and Extension Specialist for Virginia Tech's School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

    Breeding New Grape Varieties for the Southeast: What to Expect in the Coming Years

    VitisGen3, Vitis x Muscadinia, and ViRV all are grapevine breeding projects with major implications for grape production across the southeastern United States. Combining traditional breeding methods with advanced monitoring tools to accelerate development, these initiatives aim to deliver new, improved varieties in the coming years. Their goals include enhancing resistance to key diseases—such as Downy Mildew, Powdery Mildew, Black Rot, and Pierce’s Disease—while maintaining high-quality wine characteristics. These programs also address marketing, production, and postharvest quality factors to help southeastern producers bring their products to market more efficiently. Hear from Drs. Sarah Lowder and Drew Harner, extension viticulturists involved in these projects, as they share the parts they are most excited for.

  • 2:45 PM

    Vendor Break, Grand Hall

  • 3:00 PM

    Educational Breakout Session

    Nicole Chesney | Executive Director of the NC Wine & Grape Council

    Welcome to the Crossroads: Where Strategy Meets Story

    Every great wine tells a story—and so should every brand. This session invites you to see storytelling not as a tactic, but at the heart of your strategy. Drawing from examples across North Carolina and around the world, we’ll explore how real-world narratives can bridge tradition and innovation. Learn how to craft a marketing strategy that elevates experiences, drives education, and strengthens customer connection, turning your story into your most powerful business asset.

    Jay Cummins | Representative for Waterloo Container

    Taste the Packaging Difference: How Closure Selection Communicates a Wine’s Story

    How does a winemaker’s closure selection decision impact the consumer, brand, and wine style objectives? This session explores how closure choice influences wine quality, brand identity, and consumer perception. Through market insights and industry examples, we’ll discuss how technical packaging decisions bridge enological function with marketing storytelling—highlighting how closure selection shapes both the sensory and narrative dimensions of wine.

    Dr. Alexa McDaniel | Viticulture Extension and Research Scholar for North Carolina State University

    Research Updates for North Carolina State University’s Viticulture Program

    Discover the latest developments from NCSU’s Viticulture Program, including research efforts to better understand and manage Pierce’s disease through a statewide vector survey and updates on ongoing bunch grape variety trials. The session will also highlight future extension work aimed at addressing the evolving needs of North Carolina’s grape and wine industry.

  • 4:15 PM

    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.

  • 5:00 PM

    Grand Wine Tasting, Grand Hall

    5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

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