January 27, 2026 – January 29, 2026 The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium program features sessions and a two-day trade show. Since the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) joined forces to create the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in 1995, it has become the largest wine and grape conference in the nation. And while we’re proud of the size of the Unified Symposium, it is our established reputation for providing outstanding, current and breaking news, as well as information and content that we find most rewarding. As one of the industry’s premier gatherings, the Unified Symposium presents a vital platform to focus on the issues shaping today, while interfacing the topics and trends shaping the future of grapegrowing and winemaking.  A Proven Format By combining a trade show with a broad spectrum of sessions, the Unified Symposium provides attendees direct access to all the latest infor

Do Fining Agents Require Filtration? Maybe you've seen debates on Reddit or brewing & winemaking forums. Do you really have to filter out Biofine? “I don't need to filter. My product is already clear, so surely racking off the Biofine is enough…right?” Heck, maybe filtering out Biofine didn't even occur to you at all. “You mean I have to filter out my filter additive? That makes no sense!” While there are many areas where the US government could stand to be more transparent, the question of whether you need to filter after using Biofine (a.k.a silicon dioxide) is completely clear—no pun intended. For breweries, here's what the FDA has to say: § 172.480 Silicon dioxide (c) It is used or intended for use as a stabilizer in the production of beer, and is removed from the beer by filtration prior to final processing. And lest you think they forgot about wineries: § 27 CFR 24.246 - Materials authorized for the treatment

Packaging supply stable, but uneasy While June ushered in a more stable rhythm after May’s tariff-driven frenzy, underlying uncertainty continues to shape planning, procurement, and pricing across the packaging and logistics landscape. Supply remains steady across most categories, but stability doesn’t mean simplicity. US glass manufacturers, in particular, are contending with a mismatch between output and demand. Inventories have piled up amid sluggish ordering, especially from wine producers still reeling from compressed consumer spending and slowing DTC velocity. With tanks and warehouses more full than empty, some domestic furnaces are now eyeing Q3/Q4 production pauses as a measure to rebalance. After a brief reprieve in May, diesel prices rose again in June, increasing from $3.499 to $3.599 per gallon, a continued reflection of the volatile energy market. According to the latest Deloitte economic outlook, while core inflation is showing signs of moderation, ener

How Analytical Insights Help Craft Fine Languedoc Wine By Drinks Business Magazine In this Drinks Business article from 2024, the magazine reports on how FOSS analytical technology has helped Gérard Bertrand to maintain high quality in its award-winning wines. Putting aside the oft-referenced factors of unique terroir, prestigious grape varieties or generations of experience, how does one make fine wine? The solution is increasingly found in small tabletop equipment that look more at home in a laboratory than an ancient cellar. For the last 25 years, FOSS Analytics has been producing such technology and helping winemakers get the best from their grapes. Though the technology is complex, the premise is simple. By checking the chemical makeup of the wine-to-be, whether must, fermenting juice or a wine ready for bottling, winemakers can act quickly and precisely to make the best possible product. Using a FOSS machine, one can measure up to 30 parameters from a single sa

If this was easy, everyone would do it. Setting expectations is difficult. After all, we all want perfection and success, so isn’t it just positive thinking to predict that your campaigns will be victorious? That’s what “The Secret” tells us, anyway. But while it can’t hurt to take a stab at manifesting abundance and contemplating gratitude, you are likely using more concrete values, such as benchmarks and previous performance, to project the results of your marketing campaigns to your management. We submit additional data points to anticipate reasonable responses to your marketing campaigns. These data points are: What environment exists around this campaign? What workload can I reasonably handle successfully? What does my management consider, including the cost of goods sold? Let’s break each of these down and include some real-life winery examples.* CONTEXT – WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR ME LATELY? Many marketing decisions are best made with

We've got all options at Waterloo Container! When it comes to wine, every detail matters, from the vineyard where the grapes are grown to the label on the bottle. One crucial aspect that often sparks debate among winemakers and consumers alike is the type of closure used: cork or screw cap. The choice between these two closure options can significantly influence not only the wine’s preservation but also its marketability. What do you think? Visit https://www.waterloocontainer.com/educations/cork-vs-screwcap-your-choice-can-help-sell-your-wine/ to learn more.  

The past two weeks have been some of the most tumultuous and consequential in American presidential history.  About a week after President Biden turned in a stunningly poor debate performance, former President Trump was nearly assassinated at a campaign rally in western Pennsylvania, further boosting his popularity and polling lead over Biden. Then, this past Sunday night, President Biden abruptly announced his withdrawal from the presidential race, which quickly led to Vice President Kamala Harris becoming the presumptive nominee for the Democrats. And she raised a record $80 million in 24 hours. The character of the race also changed. Whereas Mr. Biden, at 81, had been the oldest presidential candidate in history, now it’s Mr. Trump, just three years younger at 78, whose new opponent is just 59, so the age advantage has flipped. So has the Democratic ticket, from Biden-Harris to Harris-Somebody Else who may be able to recapture some votes from swing states 100 days from no

It’s one of those cliches that turns out to be true: “AI isn’t coming for your job, but someone using AI is.” Artificial Intelligence will turn out to be the next real “killer app”. The last one that completely transformed the Internet and the way you work was Social Media. Before that, it was email. Putting AI in the same category as email and social media should give you a sense of just how transformative this technology is and will become. But how to incorporate it into your daily DtC efforts is the subject of regular debate and discussion. We believe it is best used not to write copy for your website or email campaigns but rather to fuel your creative juices. It turns out that while AI’s current copywriting capability is good, we don’t think it is yet so good that it can authentically communicate the uniqueness and personal voice that is so important to successful communications and campaigns. However, it sure can generate great ideas

During a recent fining trial of a problematic wine that was fermented with a problematic yeast, the conversation briefly touched on protein stability and I started reminiscing about the very first blog that I wrote for Laffort South Africa. Said blog post (click here to read it) was about bentonite and its affinity for various proteins or the lack thereof. Bentonite – Jack of all trades, master of some Whether you love it or hate it, this bentonite stuff really is a very versatile oenological additive. For those that are a bit hazy (see what I did there) on the subject, here is a quick recap on what bentonite is and what it does. Bentonite, which is essentially a very useful negatively charged clay, is mainly composed of plates of silicon and aluminium oxide, along with calcium and sodium ions. Upon rehydration, the above-mentioned plates separate, thereby creating a huge surface area that allows the sodium and calcium ions to interact with positively charged heat unstable prote

Free membership site to foster community and nurture industry collaboration Winemakers and wine industry professionals can now save time, money and eliminate frustrations with the launch of The Punchdown, an online community designed to foster collaboration and professional growth within the wine industry. The free community website and mobile app have been customized by leading wine technology software developers to make life easier and work more productive, by empowering wine teams and other industry professionals to: Convene Socialize Network Share resources, and Collaborate “Like many, I was first drawn to the wine industry by how passionate, helpful, and supportive everyone is. Winemakers are always encouraging and helping each other. But during the pandemic and fires we realized how isolated we are. There was no great place online where the community could gather. The idea that ultimately led to The Punchdown is that we wanted to create an online community that would natura