TWGGA 2023 Annual Conference: Full Schedule

The TWGGA 2023 Annual Conference & Trade Show features engaging educational sessions, unique food and wine events, the chance to reconnect with your wine and grape family and grow your business, and more.

10:00am CST

Registration Open

Tuesday February 21, 2023 10:00am - 5:30pm CST
Veramendi Foyer 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Registration

2:15pm CST

Opening Session: General Membership Meeting & Legislative Update

Welcome From President
Glena Yates, Spicewood Vineyards

TABC Update
Jared Staples, TABC

Legislative Update
Kyle Frazier, TWGGA Legislative Advocate

Speakers

Jared Staples

Director of Public and Government Affairs, TABC

Jared Staples joined TABC in 2017. Jared manages TABC's engagement and relationship with all of its stakeholders and partners. He works closely with the executive director and all division leaders to develop and implement TABC's strategic direction, and to ensure the agency speaks... Read More →

Glena Yates

Spicewood Vineyards

Glena Yates was born and raised on a Southern Oklahoma cattle ranch that was started by her great grandfather after the Oklahoma Land Rush. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1973 with a degree in biology. She married Ronnie Yates (they met at UT) in 1973 and... Read More →

Kyle Frazier

TWGGA Legislative Advocate

Kyle Frazier is the owner of Kyle Frazier Consulting, Inc. where he has represented the legislative interests of his business clients since 1998. His clients' interests include water desalination, water rights, healthcare, alcohol regulation and taxes.Frazier has been involved in... Read More →

Tuesday February 21, 2023 2:15pm - 4:00pm CST
Spring Lake Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

4:00pm CST

Regional Meetings

Meet with winemakers and grape growers from your region.

Tuesday February 21, 2023 4:00pm - 4:45pm CST
Spring Lake Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

4:45pm CST

Opening Reception With Exhibitors

Sponsors

Jim's Supply Co.

Jim's Supply has provided high-quality, custom trellising systems to growers across the country and around the world for decades. We specialize in the design and manufacture of trellising systems for a variety of crops, including vineyards, orchards, berries, stone fruit trees, and... Read More →

Tuesday February 21, 2023 4:45pm - 6:30pm CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

7:00am CST

Registration Open

Wednesday February 22, 2023 7:00am - 5:00pm CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Registration

8:00am CST

Trade Show Open

Wednesday February 22, 2023 8:00am - 4:30pm CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Trade Show

9:00am CST

Hospitality in Wine: Successful Options for Engaging Your Customers

The goal for any winery and tasting room is to engage customers for an enjoyable experience, a good wine tasting, wine sales, and club member signups. With support and suggestions from over 30 fellow members of the Texas wine industry, this presentation will cover a number of such options and activities that can help engage your customers in a wide-range of areas: overall good wine, good staff and good tasting facility; activities and events related to wine, food, music; special activities in the tasting room, winery, and vineyard; specialty group events; and sponsored extracurricular activities.

Speakers

Carl Hudson

Texas Wine Collective

Carl Hudson, a native Texan, graduated McMurry University in Abilene with a degree in chemistry and earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from The Univ. of Texas-Austin in 1977. Carl worked as a research scientist in the petroleum industry (LA and NJ) for 30 years, all the while maintaining... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CST
Chautauqua B 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

9:00am CST

Converting a Social Media Presence Into Tasting Room Sales

Learn how to identify your overall brand target audience, utilize social media, convince your audience to tag your brand, and evaluate your results.

Speakers

Brice Garrett

Serrano Wines

Brice Garrett is co-owner of Serrano Wines, which started in Paso Robles, California, in 2015. He and his wife self-funded the small label and relied primary on social media marketing to drive brand recognition and sales. In 2021, the couple left California for a brighter future in... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CST
Spring Lake C 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Tasting Room Track

9:00am CST

Protecting Your Investment: Updates in Insurance and State Programs for Vineyard Owners

This session will include an overview of USDA/FCIC’s Grape Insurance Program, including an example of a policy application, expense, and indemnity payment. We will be discussing the “how to” grower program participation for growers to qualify for federally subsidized grape coverage, along with a brief discussion the USDA/FCIC Written Agreement option for non-program counties in Texas.

Additional topics include:

Overview of funding and program opportunities available through the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Update on the Texas Department of Agriculture’s wine marketing program and current efforts to promote Texas wineries.

Speakers

Quentin Hart

Tarpon Blue

Quentin Hart has been involved in the agricultural industry his entire life. From a youngster, Quentin began working on his family’s farm and ranch operation then eventually, along with his wife Loree, owned and operated his own farm in the Texas panhandle where they raised wheat... Read More →

Kat Neilson

Texas Department of Agriculture

Kat Neilson joined the Texas Department of Agriculture’s grants team in 2018. She is the Texas state point of contact for the Specialty Crop Block Grant and Specialty Crop Multi-State program, as well as the Young Farmer Grant, the National Organic Certification Cost Share Program... Read More →

Jeffrey Vanlandingham

Hudson Insurance Group

Jeffrey Vanlandingham began his career with Great American Insurance Company working as an actuarial analyst developing hail and private rates in 1993. After developing private program rates for 3 years, he moved to the federal crop insurance department to develop agent training and... Read More →

Sponsors

Tarpon Blue

Agent

Tarpon Blue

Wednesday February 22, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CST
Spring Lake AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

9:00am CST

Rules and Regulations: Anything New?

Hear from TABC and Kimberly Frost on regulatory and compliance updates.

Speakers

Sarah Fricke

Regional Licensing Supervisor, TABC

Stephanie Connally

Regional Audit & Investigations Supervisor, TABC

Oliver Johnson

Major, Enforcement, TABC

Kimberly Frost

Partner, Martin Frost & Hill

Kimberly Frost, partner at Martin Frost & Hill in Austin, represents wineries, distilleries, breweries, importers, retailers, and those that serve the beverage alcohol industry in Texas and all over the country on federal and state permitting, compliance, labeling, and legislative... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CST
San Marcos AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Winery Track

10:00am CST

Dedicated Exhibitor & Networking Break

Sponsors

Novavine Grapevine Nursery

Senior Sales Manager

Novavine Grapevine Nursery

Wednesday February 22, 2023 10:00am - 10:30am CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Trade Show

10:30am CST

Trademarks and Tannins: An Intro to Protecting Your Name and Logo

Learn how to protect your name and logo:

What are the benefits of federal trademark registration for your product’s or company’s trademarks?
What is the process, how long does it take, what does it entail, and what does it cost?
What do I do if someone is using a mark that is too similar to mine?
What do I do if someone believes my mark is too similar to theirs?
What are the common mistakes in branding, and how can I avoid them?

Speakers

Lee B. Hunt

Kelly Hart

Lee B. Hunt is an attorney licensed in Texas and New York. He practices with the law firm Kelly Hart & Hallman, LLP, headquartered in Fort Worth and has a decade of experience assisting new and established companies in trademark and branding matters. Mr. Hunt manages and enforces... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 10:30am - 11:30am CST
Chautauqua B 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

10:30am CST

What's So Special About Sagrantino? Discussion and Tasting About This Up-and-Coming Variety (Tasting)

Join us for a panel discussion about a bold red grape with huge potential in Texas.

This is a ticketed tasting. Session sponsored by TricorBraun Winepak.

Speakers

Paul M. Bonarrigo

Messina Hof Winery

Paul Mitchell Bonarrigo is the current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Winemaker at Messina Hof Wine Cellars, Inc. Born into the Texas wine industry, Paul grew up working alongside Paul Vincent Bonarrigo and Merrill Bonarrigo, his parents and founders of Messina Hof, gaining knowledge... Read More →

Brock Estes

Fly Gap Winery

Growing up in the hills of Mason County, Brock Estes had a passion for the land at an early age. While working with winemaker Don Pullum in 2006, Brock discovered he could experience the land through winemaking. This was when he fell in love with wine and started dreaming of growing... Read More →

Amie Nemec

Author, Texas Wine Lover

With a degree in aviation, a background as a pilot, and then a career in healthcare, Amie Nemec came to the Texas Hill Country wine industry with a love for digging deep into what interests her. She started studying wine in 2004 and completed her first sommelier exam in 2011. After... Read More →

Rob Nida

Pebble Rock Cellars

Robert entered the wine industry in 2007 as a winery intern in the Texas Hill Country. In 2008, after completing his Bachelor of Science in Horticulture at Texas A&M University, Robert enrolled in the Vinifera Euromaster program. He spent the next two years in France and Spain earning... Read More →

John Rivenburgh

Kerrville Hills Winery

John Rivenburgh is a sixth generation Texan from San Antonio. He work with his family in both ranching and sales. At age 24, he started his own construction company, which he ultimately sold to a larger organization. This allowed him to further contemplate his dream of building a... Read More →

Sponsors

TricorBraun WinePak

Marketing Coordinator, TricorBraun WinePak

Breakout Session SponsorAt TricorBraun, we maintain a committed focus on insight, innovation, and customer service. We provide extraordinary packaging solutions for you, whether sourced from the global packaging marketplace or designed by our award-winning team.

Wednesday February 22, 2023 10:30am - 11:30am CST
Spring Lake AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Tasting Room Track

10:30am CST

Novel Technologies in Viticulture and Other Horticulture Crops

Horticultural crops are key to human nutrition and well-being. The challenge is how to continue the production of winegrapes and other horticultural crops in abundance sustainably in the current socioeconomic and environmental conditions. We are integrating a systems-based and a need-driven research approach to address several near- and long-term challenges. This approach has guided the evaluation of soil health, DNA-based quality-controlled nursery production, plant-microbe interactions, pre-harvest fruit development and its connection to post-harvest quality, and regulation of post-harvest ripening. We use various tools of physiology, genetics, genomics, breeding, phenomics, bioinformatics, and genome editing to conduct our research. Several of the resulting innovations have been commercialized through university startups to ensure that the research solutions reach our farmers and producers. An overview of the ongoing research and perspectives for the future of viticulture and enology research and innovation will be shared.

Speakers

Amit Dhingra

Head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University

Dr. Amit Dhingra is the Head of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Professor of Genomics and Biotechnology, and Senior Scientist at the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture at Texas A&M University. After his post-doctoral training at Rutgers University, the... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 10:30am - 11:30am CST
Spring Lake C 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

10:30am CST

So, You Have a Winery...What I Wish I Knew When I Started: A Panel Discussion With Wine Owners at Every Stage

Speakers will cover the following and more:

Amount of capital needed for start-up
Time needed for farming/vineyard
Innovation needed to create viable marketing materials
Time required needed for compliance issues and reporting to government entities
Collaboration to work with other wineries/associations on relevant issues
Energy needed to inspire workforce/lead people to perform at optimum levels
The satisfaction in creating something from nothing
Pride from creating award-winning wines

Speakers

Michael McClendon

Sage's Vintage

Michael McClendon is the co-founder of Sages Vintage, a “custom crush” winery and consultancy in Nacogdoches. In addition to producing world class wines at Sage’s Vintage he has been named as a “Young Turk of Texas Wine ” by Dr. Russ Kane; featured in the Dallas Morning... Read More →

Susan Johnson

Texas Heritage Vineyard

Susan Johnson is a seventh-generation Texan. She and her husband Billy started Texas Heritage Vineyard in 2015 with the planting of their vineyard. The winery was built just 2 years later and the tasting room on Highway 290 opened in 2018. With 12-and-a-half acres planted to Alicante... Read More →

Chris McIntosh

Edge of the Lake Vineyard

Ron Yates

Spicewood Vineyards/Ron Yates

Wednesday February 22, 2023 10:30am - 11:30am CST
San Marcos AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Winery Track

11:30am CST

Lunch on Your Own

The conference schedule includes lunch on your own on Wednesday, and you'll likely enjoy other opportunities to explore San Marcos restaurants. Find a list of local ideas here, and, while dining options are limited onsite, explore the hotel's dining options here. Note that the hotel also provides a shuttle to the nearby outlet mall.

Wednesday February 22, 2023 11:30am - 1:30pm CST
Various

Special Event

1:30pm CST

From Zero to Hero: Easy Steps to Build Your Social Media Presence

Do you find that social media is a foreign language you don’t speak? Better yet, do you roll your eyes when someone mentions a hashtag? Now you can understand the basics of social media and gain the power to drive brand awareness, engage a targeted audience, and ultimately turn followers into paying customers!

Speakers

Caroline Bradley

Scenarios Media

Caroline Bradley is the founder of Scenarios Media, and has a true passion for helping small business's grow. In 2009 Caroline earned a Bachelor of Science from Stephen F. Austin State University in Public Health specializing in Marketing. Most recently she completed the certificate... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Spring Lake C 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

1:30pm CST

Labor Shortages and Solutions

Finding good labor for a growing business can be both difficult and expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Join us to hear two experts that will discuss effective and affordable solutions in getting the help you need in your vineyard and other parts of your business.

Speakers

Sabrina Houser-Amaya

Owner, The Bracero Group

Sabrina Houser Amaya launched The Bracero Group in 2018 while working as a Texas vineyard and winery owner. Having experienced first-hand the difficulty in securing sufficient and reliable agricultural workers, The Bracero Group was formed to meet the unique needs of vineyard owners... Read More →

Jim Monteith

Apprenticeship & Training Representative, Department of Labor

Wednesday February 22, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Chautauqua B 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Tasting Room Track

1:30pm CST

New Varieties: Hybrid Wines (Tasting)

In 2019, five new Pierce's Disease resistant grape varieties were released from the University of California Davis. These grapes have been planted in the Rio Grande Valley, Gulf Coast, Hill Country, and North Texas. This panel will discuss early observations on how these varieties perform in the vineyard and their wine quality potential. A Paseante Noir wine and an Ambulo Blanc/Caminante Blanc blend from Ojai Vineyard near Santa Barbara will be poured for attendees.

This is a ticketed tasting.

Moderators

Justin Scheiner

Associate Professor and Extension Viticulture Specialist, Texas A&M University

Justin Scheiner is an Associate Professor and Extension Viticulture Specialist at Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. His Extension responsibilities include educational programming and technical support for grape growers in areas of Texas affected by... Read More →

Speakers

Fran Pontasch

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

Fran Pontasch is the Gulf Coast Viticulture Program Specialist for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension where she addresses individual concerns of commercial and aspiring commercial grape producers, and develops educational programs and materials. Fran is a horticulture graduate from Texas... Read More →

Kevin Klenke

Loblolly Pines Vineyard

Donald Clark

Valle della Pace Vineyards Winery

Dr. Don Clark, vintner/winemaker, grew up in New Orleans, and combined with his half Italian extraction, he gleaned the tastes and aromas of two cultures famous for their culinary feats. He earned a PhD in physical biochemistry at Louisiana State University and attained years of experience... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Spring Lake AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

1:30pm CST

Nonconventional Yeast Fermentations

This session will include:

An overview of advantages of non-Sacc Yeast
Preparations of non-Sacc yeast
Identification of and attributes of various non-Sacc Yeast strains commercially available
Discussion of which non-Sacc strains are best suited for the Texas wine industry

Speakers

Ali Rouse

Field Sales Representative, Scott Labs

After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Wine & Viticulture program, Ali spent 8 +\- years working in the Temecula Valley for South Coast Winery as an intern, lab tech, and then enologist. During her time in Southern California, she helped develop a wine program at a local... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
San Marcos AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Winery Track

2:30pm CST

Dedicated Exhibitor & Networking Break

Sponsors

Novavine Grapevine Nursery

Senior Sales Manager

Novavine Grapevine Nursery

Wednesday February 22, 2023 2:30pm - 3:30pm CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Trade Show

3:30pm CST

Ask Me Anything

Don't miss this opportunity to ask Kimberly Frost your burning questions, from federal and state permitting to compliance, labeling, legislative matters, and more.

Speakers

Kimberly Frost

Partner, Martin Frost & Hill

Wednesday February 22, 2023 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
Chautauqua B 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

3:30pm CST

How to Start Selling Your Wine Before You Build Your Winery

This session will touch on the important topics including custom crush, incubators, shiners, bulk, and AP. Panelists will share their story, their capacity, and their favorite grapes to work with.

Moderators

Wes Jensen

Sage's Vintage

Graduating from Stephen F. Austin State University with a degree in Agri-Business in 1994, Wes managed his family ranch. He then moved on to Agtoprof where in his 13 year career there, grew grapes in California, Washington, and Texas as well as traveling to tour Chilean wine.Wes... Read More →

Speakers

John Rivenburgh

Kerrville Hills Winery

Greg Stokes

Bending Branch Winery

After graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Greg Stokes began his winemaking career as part of the winemaking team at David Bruce Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. There he was Head of Grower Relations and Operations Manager for 18 years. At David Bruce he had the chance to... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
Spring Lake AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

3:30pm CST

Uncorking Haloanisoles in Wine

Haloanisoles have long been an issue with wine quality and the nickname of “cork taint” has focused the blame on corks. However, we now understand that there are many more haloanisoles that contribute to these musty odors, and not all can be traced back to corks. This program will look at corks and beyond to discuss the multiple haloanisoles that contaminate wine along with their halophenol precursors, methods of contamination, wine closures, and remediation.

Speakers

Abigail Keng

Graduate Student, Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University

Abigail Keng graduated from Texas A&M with a B.S. in horticulture with a certificate in viticulture and enology and is a current Phd student at Texas A&M studying enology. She was a recipient of the 2022 Hoss Newsom scholarship. Her passion is all things wine faults especially cork... Read More →

Wednesday February 22, 2023 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
Spring Lake C 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

3:30pm CST

A Successful Approach to Alternative Packaging

Explore strategies for the adoption of more sustainable packaging solutions. We will dive into the potential challenges faced with packaging in aluminum and bag-in-box leaving you with the necessary information to succeed.

Session sponsored by Enartis.

Speakers

Tyler Franzen

Enartis

For the last 6 years, Tyler has worked with Enartis USA covering a large portion of North America. A stint as a harvest intern in 2009 set him on the path to becoming a winemaker. However, it was the pursuit of knowledge and working through trials that brought him to Enartis. There... Read More →

Sponsors

Enartis

Wednesday February 22, 2023 3:30pm - 4:30pm CST
San Marcos AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Winery Track

4:30pm CST

Networking Reception

Join fellow attendees and exhibitors for a networking reception, featuring a Wine Pull benefitting Texas Wine Foundation and TWGGA's annual Silent Auction.

The Silent Auction will run from 4:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m. Bids must be completed by 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday February 22, 2023 4:30pm - 5:30pm CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

5:00pm CST

Film Screening: Titans of TWGGA

Join TWGGA for a film screening of Titans of TWGGA, a documentary featuring TWGGA Past Presidents. Learn more about the history of the association and the Texas wine industry.

Wednesday February 22, 2023 5:00pm - 6:15pm CST
Spring Lake AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

7:00am CST

Registration Open

Thursday February 23, 2023 7:00am - 12:00pm CST
Veramendi Foyer 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Registration

8:00am CST

Silent Auction

Deadline extended! The Silent Auction is now open through 12:30 PM in Veramendi Foyer. Check out the items and make your bid!

The Silent Auction benefits Texas Wine Foundation. Learn more here http://texaswinefoundation.org

Thursday February 23, 2023 8:00am - 12:30pm CST
Veramendi Foyer 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

8:00am CST

Trade Show Open

Thursday February 23, 2023 8:00am - 1:30pm CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Trade Show

9:00am CST

VineRoots: Positive Growth Through Legislative Action

Learn about the VineRoots program from Kyle Frazier, TWGGA's legislative advocate, and how to use educational action packs to cohesively promote the Texas wine industry.

Speakers

Kyle Frazier

TWGGA Legislative Advocate

Thursday February 23, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CST
Chautauqua B 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

9:00am CST

Peak Behind the Curtain of a Wine Competition and Learn Why They Are Important (Tasting)

With a blind tasting of five different red wines from the Lone Star International Wine Competition, learn how wines are judged and how a competition is planned and executed. Discuss why competitions are important and dig deeper into the statistics of how Texas wines are doing when judged.

This is a ticketed tasting.

Speakers

Bryan Chagoly

Top Texas Wines

Bryan Chagoly is a native Texan and long time Austin software tech guy turned wine grower. For 20+ years, Bryan developed new software products in Austin focused on digital marketing and online commerce. He caught the wine bug in 2016 when a winemaker married into the family, and... Read More →

Amie Nemec

Author, Texas Wine Lover

Thursday February 23, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CST
Spring Lake AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Tasting Room Track

9:00am CST

How to Keep the Romance in Your Vineyard: Top Mistakes to Avoid

Have you recently traveled to Tuscany and are having romantic dreams of a picturesque vineyard on your property? Perhaps you bit the bullet and have vines in the ground already? Either way, you don't have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to learning how to ensure you have the right tools in your toolbox for sustainable vineyard success. Join Extension viticulturist Michael Cook as he leads you through avoiding the most common pitfalls of vineyard failure for prospective and new grape growers in Texas. These costly mistakes—such as poor planning and logistics, expecting the kids to help, improper site selection and amelioration, and selecting the wrong variety—are just a few examples that may not only bankrupt you but also jeopardize your entire marriage.

Speakers

Michael Cook

Viticulture Program Specialist, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

Michael Cook is the Viticulture Program Specialist for the 55 counties of North Texas with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. His primary function is to provide educational support for the nearly 120 commercial vineyards in the region by providing workshops, programs, educational... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CST
Spring Lake C 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

9:00am CST

Real-Life Application on Winery Efficiency

Speakers

Jason Englert

Grape Creek Vineyards

Barbara Lecuona

Siboney Cellars

Barbara has been interested in wine since her earliest trip to Napa and Sonoma in the 1990s, but it was her first trip to Bordeaux in 2007 with her husband, Miguel, that really sparked her interest in viticulture and winemaking. Visiting and tasting at several First and Second Growth... Read More →

Rob Nida

Pebble Rock Cellars

Thursday February 23, 2023 9:00am - 10:00am CST
San Marcos AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Winery Track

10:00am CST

Dedicated Exhibitor & Networking Break

Sponsors

Novavine Grapevine Nursery

Senior Sales Manager

Novavine Grapevine Nursery

Thursday February 23, 2023 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Trade Show

11:00am CST

New Ways Consumers Can Find Texas Wines

Learn about the websites, apps, and podcasts that let our customers learn about, and buy, more Texas wine.

Speakers

Jeff Cope

Texas Wine Lover

Jeff Cope has visited almost 500 Texas wineries over the years while blogging about the winery visits and more on Texas wine at Texas Wine Lover (https://txwinelover.com) making the website become the premier source on Texas wine. He has assembled a talented list of writers who contribute... Read More →

Amie Nemec

Author, Texas Wine Lover

Clay Roup

Texas Wine Club

Sara Wagner

Sommly.com

Sara Wagner’s background is in management consulting, technology product and portfolio management. She leads corporate strategy and business transformation at Whole Foods Market, and is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sommly. Sara received her MBA from Rice University and her BS from... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
San Marcos AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

11:00am CST

Sip, Savor, Socialize: Creating Winery Events That Marry Food and Wine (Tasting)

Capture Britt Davis’s worldly experiences right here in Texas with the perfectly paired wine and food experience! This session will be a fun and relaxed atmosphere centered on the idea of tastings, private and corporate events, wine education, and great conversations to expand your wine and food pairing knowledge in a safe manner. Britt’s pairings are out of this world and as diverse as Britt himself! Sip, savor, socialize, and discover your passion for pairing your wine with food and wine pairing provided by Britt's Wine and Dine—where knowledge tastes so good!

This is a ticketed tasting.

Speakers

Britt Davis

Owner, Britt's Wine & Dine

Fine wine and food connoisseur Britt Davis grew up near Napa Valley, California, where he developed a deeply rooted passion for delectable wines and savory foods. Britt has traveled the globe, visiting six of seven continents, exploring the wine and food of nearly every major wine... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Spring Lake AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Tasting Room Track

11:00am CST

Leading Winter-Injured Vines Through Climate Insecurity

Moderators

Fran Pontasch

Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

Speakers

Brianna Crowley

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Brianna Crowley is the Texas A&M AgriLife Viticulture Program Specialist for the Hill Country region. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, in 2012 and her master's degree in 2017 from North Carolina State University in the field... Read More →

Michael Cook

Viticulture Program Specialist, Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service

Danny Hillin

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Thursday February 23, 2023 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Spring Lake C 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

11:00am CST

Improvements in Cellar/Crush Pad Efficiency

Discover ways to improve flow and reduce hours during harvest. We will present ways to streamline fruit reception, reduce press time, and reduce time spent on cellar process, including pump-overs and winemaking products.

Speakers

Mark Chick

Bucher Vaslin

Presenter is Mark Chick, of Bucher Vaslin North America (B.V.N.A.). Mark has over 40 years in the wine industry, including cellar maintenance, winery design, plant management, and process design. He has worked with Joseph Phelps Winery, Fess Parker Wine Estates, and has been associated... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 11:00am - 12:00pm CST
Chautauqua B 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Winery Track

12:00pm CST

Lunch With Exhibitors

Sponsors

Inland Desert Nursery

Breakout Session Sponsor

Thursday February 23, 2023 12:00pm - 1:30pm CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

1:30pm CST

Marketing to the Hispanic Community

Brands grow by acquiring more customers, and Hispanics are the largest minority group in the U.S. Wine brands need to update their marketing strategy to reach this population segment. This session will:

Describe cultural and economic attributes of the Hispanic market.
List wine brand marketing strategies.
Review potential marketing platforms to deliver the marketing plan.
Open to questions from the audience.

Speakers

Rafael Ruiz

Alta Casta Group

Dr. Rafael Ruiz is an internationally trained Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) wine expert. He has a Level 3 Award in Wine from the International Wine Center in New York City and a WSET Wine Education Program completion at the International Wine Guild in Toronto. These studies... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
San Marcos AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

1:30pm CST

Best Practices for Tasting Room Success

Dive into best practices for tasing room success:

What are the best practices for a tasting room to ensure winery success?
We’ll need a great guest experience but also to generate revenue through wine sales, club enrollment, and mailing list signups.
From WISE’s 6,000+ mystery shops, including wineries in Texas, learn our Top Success Tips on best practices for the tasting room.
Learn what works and how to leverage best practices not only better guest engagement but also for the Triple Score (getting sales, wine club signups, and data capture).

Speakers

Liz Mercer

Coach & Content Developer, WISE

Liz Mercer grew up in the Napa Valley, which instilled a deep respect for the culture and lifestyle of wine and the industry supporting it. She left the area to attend Northwood University in Michigan, where she studied Finance & Business Management. She joined the wine industry in... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Spring Lake C 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Tasting Room Track

1:30pm CST

200% Texas: Extracting Bold Reds (Phenolic Extraction With Tasting)

Learn about the enhanced opportunity to make robust red wines from Texas fruit and the importance of Phenolics in winemaking. Learn about extraction methods, including CryoMaceration and Flash De’Tente, and see the results of Bending Branch Winery extraction research.

This is a ticketed tasting.

Speakers

Bob Young

Bending Branch Winery

Dr. Bob was drawn to the beauty and legacy of wine regions in Europe, South America, and the U.S. As a physician, he found the art and science of winemaking intriguing, as well as the increasing research regarding red wine’s impact on health. He progressed from a course in viticulture... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Spring Lake AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

1:30pm CST

Prepping Yourself for Bottle Prep

Bottling day can be the most stressful day of the year. It’s your last chance to get it right! This session will cover the steps you need to take to make sure you and your wine are prepared for bottling. Topics will include analyses, filtration basics, final adjustments, and what to look for during the bottling process.

Speakers

Maureen Qualia

Texas Tech University

Maureen Qualia is a senior lecturer of Enology at Texas Tech University based at the Hill Country University Center in Fredericksburg, TX. She received a B.S. in Nutrition from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.S. in Enology from California State University at Fresno. Maureen... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Chautauqua B 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Winery Track

2:30pm CST

Networking Break

Sponsors

Novavine Grapevine Nursery

Senior Sales Manager

Novavine Grapevine Nursery

Thursday February 23, 2023 2:30pm - 2:45pm CST
Veramendi Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

2:45pm CST

Not if, But When You Get Audited: What to Expect

Hear from industry leaders about what to expect and how to best prepare for an audit.

Speakers

Karen Bonarrigo

Messina Hof Winery

Karen Bonarrigo started her journey into the Texas Wine Industry after meeting her (now) husband, Paul M. Bonarrigo more than 15 years ago. Karen grew up in Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in History from The George Washington University... Read More →

Patrick Whitehead

Blue Ostrich Winery & Vineyard

Patrick Whitehead is the managing partner and winemaker at Blue Ostrich Winery & Vineyard. Blue Ostrich was established by the Whitehead and Fredrick families over 12 years ago in Cooke County, Texas, just a short drive north of Dallas-Fort Worth. The estate vineyard grows Cabernet... Read More →

Meredith Eaton

Firelight Vineyards

Thursday February 23, 2023 2:45pm - 3:45pm CST
Spring Lake C 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Business Management Track

2:45pm CST

Crush Report for Crop Year 2021

The first Texas Crush Report and Vineyard Production Survey was recently completed. This presentation will highlight results related to vineyard and winery production, trends, and common challenges that were reported.

Speakers

Justin Scheiner

Associate Professor and Extension Viticulture Specialist, Texas A&M University

Thursday February 23, 2023 2:45pm - 3:45pm CST
Chautauqua B 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

2:45pm CST

“Fermenting Sustainability” in the Texas Wine Industry

This session will:

Explore opportunities and challenges for sustainability in the Texas wine industry.
Discuss conceptual and practical elements of maintaining and growing the wine sector across three dimensions (ecologically, socio-culturally, and economically) amidst rapid environmental change.
Be relevant to wine professionals from “grape to glass” (e.g., winegrape growers, winemakers, sales/marketing folks, and more).

Speakers

Colleen C. Myles

Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Texas State University

Colleen C. Myles is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. She has a PhD in Geography and an MS in Community Development from the University of California, Davis. She is a rural geographer and political... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 2:45pm - 3:45pm CST
San Marcos AB 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Vineyard Track

6:00pm CST

Gala Reception

Sponsors

Wonderful Nurseries

Wonderful Nurseries is North America's largest grapevine nurseries offering rootstock rootings, grafted grapevines, clones and more.

Thursday February 23, 2023 6:00pm - 7:00pm CST
Spring Lake Foyer 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event

7:00pm CST

TWGGA Awards Gala

Connect and celebrate with your Texas wine and grape growing community at the TWGGA Annual Awards Gala. Experience recognition of the Annual Association Award recipients and the fan-favorite Heads and Tails event.

Sponsors

Johnson & Associates

We are an independent company representing multiple manufactures that produce quality products for the wine industry. Products offered range from wine making/processing equipment, pumps, wine making tools, wine barrels & oak adjuncts like chips, staves & barrel inserts. All together... Read More →

Thursday February 23, 2023 7:00pm - 10:00pm CST
Spring Lake Ballroom 1001 E McCarty Ln, San Marcos, Texas 78666

Special Event