2024 Symposium Seminar Speakers and Topics

Seminar Description:

Wine instability is a recurrent problem in the industry, frequently resulting in product recalls and monetary loss.   Several types of instabilities can occur, including oxidative, heat, and cold instabilities, resulting in a product that is unacceptable to consumers.  This presentation will focus on the causes of these instabilities and the steps to take to prevent them.

• Oxidative instability is one of the major problems that occurs in both red and white wine production.  Accelerated oxidation of wine, before or after packaging, results in loss of varietal character, detrimental color changes, colloidal instabilities, and increased opportunity for microbial spoilage.  Winemaking processes that can lead to oxidation will be discussed, along with recommendations to identify and prevent oxidative damage.

• The chemistry underlying heat-induced haze formation will be presented, along with the chemical interactions involved in the primary method of heat stabilization, bentonite fining. In addition, methods used to determine heat stability and information on the interpretation of heat stability testing results will be discussed.  

• The interaction between tartaric acid, potassium, pH, and ethanol in the formation of potassium bitartrate will be the focus of the cold stability discussion.  Various methods of evaluating cold stability, including conductivity and concentration product, will be presented, along with information on interpreting results from these analyses.  Guidelines will be provided on which method of measuring cold stability is most appropriate depending upon the methods used by the winemaker to cold stabilize the wine.  Lastly, information will be presented on additive technologies instead of traditional cold stabilization and analytical methods to support their use.

Rich’s Bio:  Richard DeScenzo is the Microbiology Group Leader for ETS Laboratories and a member of the Leadership Team. Rich received his Masters in Plant Pathology and Ph. D. in Plant Biology at the University of New Hampshire. He conducted his postdoctoral studies on disease-resistance genes in barley with the USDA/ARS at Iowa State University. He spent ten years researching grape genomics, development of molecular diagnostics, and fermentation monitoring in the wine industry. Dr. DeScenzo joined ETS in January 2006, leading the Microbiology Group and guiding the development of the Scorpion Wine Spoilage Detection Kit. Most recently, Richard has focused on transitioning the Scorpions technology for use in the fuel ethanol market. In addition to developing improved diagnostics for the fermentation industry, Richard works with clients to help them understand their microbial fermentation problems and develop monitoring programs to prevent future problems.

Tim Hanni
Master of Wine

Seminar Description:

Why You Like the Wines You Like

We have all experienced dramatic differences in personal wine preferences, scoring systems, and descriptive language that are a key part of enjoying wine. Learn how perceptual genetics/physiology, neurology, and psychology combine to create everyone’s unique sensory experiences. Understanding these principles can improve communications in your winery, tasting room, and marketing materials, guide wine product development, and turn your beliefs about pairing wine and food on its head. Hanni will demonstrate the principles of basic wine and food interactions through a demonstrative tasting that is being adopted by the Wine & Spirits Education Trust and show how simple it is to incorporate demonstrations in your education programs, tasting room, and winery events. Applying these principles can take your hospitality to a new level to engage more customers, sell more wine, and improve customer retention.

Tim’s Bio:  Tim Hanni is one of the first two resident Americans to earn the Master of Wine credential in 1990 and holds the credential of Certified Wine Educator from the Society of Wine Educators. Tim provides business and product development consulting, teaches wine business for several universities, and is President of WineBusinessEducation.com. He is a professionally trained chef and a life-long student of gastronomy and the culinary arts. Being involved in wine and food for over 50 years has given Hanni a unique, innovative, and modern perspective on the subjects. He has lectured in over 27 countries and has been featured in the Sommelier Journal, the Washington Post, and the Wall Street Journal. His book, Why You Like the Wines You Like, was published in 2013. The book explores his mission to revise wine and food pairing to a personal and interaction-based approach. It explains the perceptual sciences that account for our personal (and often vastly differing) wine preferences. Tim and his wife, Kate, reside in Prescott, Arizona.

2023 Symposium Seminar Speakers and Topics

Matt Halldorson –
(Yavapai County Director, Associate Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Area Viticulture Agent-The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension)

Speaker Topic: A Year in the Life of a Washington State Vineyard

Seminar Description: An overview of wine growing with a Washington flavor, Matt will describe a calendar year in the vineyard.

Matt’s Bio: A long-time northern Arizona resident and plant biologist by training, Matt became a viticulturist in Washington state after being inspired by the success of the Verde Valley wine industry. After graduating from Yavapai College and Northern Arizona University, Matt went up to the Pacific Northwest to attend Washington State University, where he received his master’s degree in horticulture while studying under Chateau Ste Michelle Distinguished Professor of Viticulture Markus Keller.  After graduating from WSU, Matt worked as a viticulturist for Wyckoff Farms, one of Washington’s largest grape growers, Ste Michelle Wine Estates, the largest winery in the Pacific Northwest, and Kiona Vineyards, which resides on Washington’s premiere AVA, Red Mountain. In 2022, Matt was given the opportunity to come full circle, when he accepted the position of Yavapai County Extension Director and Ag and Natural Resources Agent with the University of Arizona. Due to his extensive experience in viticulture, Matt was also given area responsibilities in viticulture and is honored to serve Yavapai County and the state of Arizona in that capacity.

Jason McCluskey – Winemaker, Arizona Stronghold Vineyards

Speaker Topic: Making wine in less-than-ideal conditions

Seminar Description: Winemaking decisions (additions, blending, racking, etc.) when things aren’t going as planned.

Jason’s Bio: An Arizona native, Jason McCluskey entered the wine industry in 2008, working as a harvest intern for Arizona Stronghold Vineyards. From there, he hopped between hemispheres, working internships in Australia, New Zealand, and Oregon. He settled in Oregon for about 5 and a half years, eventually becoming the Cellar Master at Domaine Serene in the Willamette Valley. To pursue formal education, he moved to New Zealand in 2016 and studied at the Eastern Institute of Technology in Hawke’s Bay. After receiving a Graduate Diploma in Oenology, he stayed in New Zealand until 2019, working on both the North and South Islands. He moved back to the USA to work as Assistant Winemaker at Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Missouri. Finally, life took him full circle, and he returned to Arizona to work as Winemaker at Arizona Stronghold Vineyards in 2020.

Gary Spadafore
CWE – Certified Wine Educator, Society of Wine Educators
CSS – Certified Specialist of Spirits, Society of Wine Educators
WSET – Level 3, Wine and Spirits Education Trust

Speaker Topic: Gary’s Irreverent Wine and Food Experience

Seminar Description: This seminar is a unique and irreverent exploration of the history and scientific aspects of pairing wine with food. You will be led through a tasting of different food items to determine how food can alter the taste of wine. Some foods will make a wine taste stronger; others will make the exact wine taste milder. Participants will discover how the “Tequila Trick” can help them balance food to allow the wine to taste as intended.

The primary tastes of wine and food will be discussed and experienced. Sweet, sour, salt, and bitter will be tasted as well as the officially recognized 5th taste – umami. Participants will learn how these tastes affect the structural components of wine. They will decide for themselves what “works” and what does not.

• When did wine and food pairing begin?
• Are there scientific principles behind the traditional wine and food pairings?
• Is it okay to drink your favorite wine with whatever entrée you have ordered?
• Does one’s personal preference influence a successful wine and food pairing?
• Is there a “correct” reaction that will be perfect for everyone?
• What is umami, and how does it affect wine and food?
• Are people that enjoy White Zinfandel actually “super tasters”?
• Is it possible to balance food to make it “work” with any wine?
• Is it best to match the wine to the “diner”, not the “dinner”?
• These questions and more will be discussed and answered in this fast-paced, fascinating presentation.

Gary’s Bio: For his entire career, Gary Spadafore has been active in the adult beverage trade, both on a business and personal level. He has traveled extensively through the wine and spirit regions of Europe, New Zealand, South America, and North America to enhance his knowledge. He has spent over 35 years in the adult beverage trade. After retiring as Director of Education for a major wine and spirits wholesaler in Phoenix, AZ, he founded Spada4Solutions LLC. He completely understands that for education to be effective, it must also be entertaining.

2022 Symposium Seminar Speakers and Topics

James Callahan –
(Owner, Rune Wines and Head Winemaker)

Keynote Speaker: Controlled Chaos: Wild Yeast in Winemaking
Winemaker James Callahan began his journey into the world of wine in 2007. An Arizona native, Callahan was intrigued by the young wine industry right under his nose. He began making wine with PurVine Winery in Tempe, Arizona where he spent three years working with Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Subsequent harvests were spent with Waters Winery in Walla Walla, Washington, Paddy Borthwick Vineyards in New Zealand, and Kosta Browne in Sebastopol, California. In 2012, Callahan returned to his Arizona roots, relocating to Willcox, Arizona as Winemaker with Aridus Wine Company, and later Pillsbury Wine Company. In 2013, Callahan founded his own label – Rune Wines. Rune Wines has now completed its 9th vintage, and has been recognized for its pioneering utilization of native yeasts and unique expression of Arizona terroir.  Today, in addition to continuously expanding Rune Wines and its sister brand Brigand Wines, Callahan is also a consulting winemaker for Deep Sky Vineyards and Autumn Sage Vineyards.

Seminar Description: Winemaker James Callahan of Rune Wines has been a pioneering proponent of wild yeast fermentation in Arizona. In this presentation, James will discuss the use of wild yeast, including its benefits, challenges, and methodologies.

Mike Stump –
(Sales Manager, Lafitte Cork + Capsule)

Seminar II: Cork Technologies
Mike Stump has worked as a Sales Representative of Lafitte Cork and Capsule for 11 years. His career in Golf, Logistics, and Wine have spanned 30 years of servicing customers and catering to their needs. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Service Sector Management from California State University, San Marcos. When he’s not on the road, he resides in Southern California.

Lafitte Cork and Capsule is a founding member of the Cork Quality Council (CQC), which sets stringent standards on corks to be sold in the North American market. Since 1995, Lafitte California has operated a state-of-the-art QC laboratory with an ozone-infused moisturizing room to aid in ensuring cork sterility, the first of its kind in the U.S.

Seminar Description: How the cork makes its way from the forest to your bottle.

Randy Caparoso –
(Editor-at-Large, The SOMM Journal)

Seminar III: Redefining the Definition of Balanced Wine
Randy Caparoso is a freelance wine journalist and photographer who lives Lodi, California. He is the author of Lodi!, The Definitive Guide and History of America’s Largest Winegrowing Region (2021, Kitchen Cinco Press). To put bread (and wine) on the table, he serves as Editor-at-Large, Bottom Line columnist and SOMM Camp director for The SOMM Journal (since 2008), while blogging and doing the social media work for the Lodi Winegrape Commission (since 2010). In a prior incarnation, he was a founding partner of the Roy’s family of restaurants, serving as VP/Corporate Wine Director for 13 years. While at Roy’s, he was named Santé’s first Wine & Spirits Professional of the Year (1988) and Restaurant Wine’s Wine Marketer of the Year (1992 & 1998). He has also owned and operated his own wine production company, Caparoso Wines LLC (2000 to 2006), and bylined a long-running biweekly wine column for his hometown newspaper The Honolulu Advertiser (1981 to 2002). You may contact him at randycaparoso@earthlink.net, or through kitchencincopress.com and randycaparosophotography.com.

Seminar Topic: Talking about “balanced wine” used to be perfectly acceptable—until about ten years ago, when the term suddenly became politicized. Randy will be talking about why this whole “balance” argument was always a crock.

2021 Virtual Symposium Seminar Speakers and Topics

Jennifer Montgomery –
(Executive Director of AWGA)

Keynote Speaker: Different Beginnings, Same Destination.
Jennifer is the former Governmental & Grassroots Advocacy Manager ASET – The Neurodiagnostic Society. A native of Blacksburg, Virginia, Jennifer earned her B.A. in Journalism from Radford University. Jennifer became the Executive Director, Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners, after serving for two years as the first full-time Director for the Nebraska Winery and Grape Growers Association.

Lisa Francioni-Hai –
(California Sustainable Winegrowers Alliance)

Seminar A: Sustainability – Grape to Glass
Lisa Francioni – Hai is Program Director for the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance, a non-profit organization incorporated in 2003 by Wine Institute and the California Association of Winegrape Growers to promote environmental stewardship and social responsibility in the state’s wine community. She has been integral in implementing the California Sustainable Winegrowing Program, a voluntary educational program for California wineries and vineyards, since February 2005 and oversees the third-party certification program, Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing. Lisa has served as the project manager on numerous federal and state grant projects, and has assisted with the implementation of over a dozen grant projects during her fifteen years with CSWA. Her role at CSWA also includes overseeing project budgets, completing financial reports, managing consultants, and evaluating and reporting progress of projects to funding organizations. She helps to build partnerships and collaborations with winegrowers, wineries, winegrower associations, and agricultural professionals. She leads the development of educational workshops and events and works closely with expert partners to develop tools and educational resources, including an online self-assessment and reporting system.

Philippe Coderey –
(Biodynamic Viticulture)

Seminar B: Biodynamic Viticulture
Philippe comes from a very long line of Vignerons in Europe, Philippe has been inclined to research and study many ancient forms of viticulture. During the course of his career, it has become obvious that biodynamic farming has been and is inspired by those empirical practices and farming principles coming from the past. Being aware of the difficulty to understand biodynamic farming, it has become a necessity for Philippe to demystify it but also explain it through those long–forgotten principles and practices acquired throughout centuries of farming. Merging the past and the present is the key to unlock the true potential and uniqueness of a land under a particular climate and planted with a given grape varietal and to express this potential in a glass of wine.

Our third annual 2020 Competition and Symposium was cancelled in light of the ongoing spread of COVID-19 throughout the nation

Biodynamic Viticulture

by Philippe Coderey

2019 Symposium Seminar Speakers and Topics

Beyond the Traditional
to the Non-Traditional

by Jennifer Montgomery

2018 Symposium Seminar Speakers and Topics

Post Emergent
Winemakers

by Bree Nation