JANUARY 23, 2023.  BY STEPHANIE BOLTON, PhD, LODI WINEGRAPE COMMISSION.

Please join the Lodi Winegrape Commission on Tuesday, February 7th for the 71st Annual Lodi Grape Day celebration! Lodi Grape Day is hosted by University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) and the Lodi Chamber of Commerce’s Agribusiness Committee. The agenda with the full list of speakers has just been released (please see below).

For over 70 years, the Agribusiness Committee of the Lodi District Chamber of Commerce, along with University of California Cooperative Extension, has brought information about improving yields, fighting diseases, market trends, and mechanization technologies to the hundreds of growers who attend Lodi Grape Day. After learning about relevant viticulture topics in the morning, growers, pest control advisors, winery personnel, bankers, and business leaders gather together for a special luncheon featuring a keynote speaker. This year’s keynote speaker is Caine Thompson, Managing Director at Robert Hall Winery and Sustainability Lead for O’Neill Vintners and Distillers. You may remember Caine from the April 2022 Mealybug & Virus Outreach Meeting hosted by the Lodi Winegrape Commission, where he spoke about the importance of regional cooperation – a topic that Maria Zumkeller (LangeTwins) will expand upon at Grape Day. Attendance during the morning presentations and wine tasting is FREE and open to everyone (no tickets or RSVP required). Tickets are required for the luncheon and keynote speaker presentation.

71st Annual LODI GRAPE DAY

February 7th, 2023  •  Hutchins Street Square, 125 S Hutchins St, Lodi, CA

7:30am   Registration and DPR Credit Sign-In with coffee and donuts

8:00 – 11:15am   MORNING VITICULTURE EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS

8:00am   Welcome
Justin Tanner, PhD, UCCE Northern San Joaquin Viticulture Farm Advisor

8:05am   Establishing an Integrated Leafroll 3 Virus Management Program
Maria Zumkeller, MS, Technical Vineyard Manager, LangeTwins Family Winery and Vineyards

8:35am   California’s Efforts to Halt the Spotted Lanternfly
Mark A. McLoughlin, Director, Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services Division, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)

9:05am   Mitigating Late Spring Frost Damage in Vineyards
Justin Tanner, PhD, UCCE Northern San Joaquin Viticulture Farm Advisor

BREAK

9:45am   Open-Air Ag Burning Still Important for Winegrape Quality Today, Until We Find Something Better
Stephanie Bolton, PhD, Research & Education Director, Sustainable Winegrowing Director, Lodi Winegrape Commission

10:15am   Regulatory Obstacles for Use of Autonomous Equipment & Robotics
Michael Miiller, Director of Government Relations, California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG)

10:45am   Managing Raptors for Increased Pest Control on Farms
Breanna Martinico, MS, UCCE Human-Wildlife Interactions Advisor, Napa County

11:15am   LODI WINE SENSORY EVALUATION

12:00pm   LUNCH with Keynote Speaker, Kirst Hall (ticket required)
The Wine Market and Future Direction of the Industry
Caine Thompson, Managing Director at Robert Hall Winery and Sustainability Lead for O’Neill Vintners and Distillers

Meeting Credits:  2.5 hrs DPR CE – (OTHER) approved, sponsored by the Lodi Winegrape Commission

For questions and to purchase luncheon tickets:  Click this link https://business.lodichamber.com/events/details/grape-day-2022-4782. Contact the Lodi Chamber of Commerce with any questions, 209.367.7840.


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For more information on the LODI RULES Sustainable Winegrowing Program, visit lodigrowers.com/standards or lodirules.org.