Best Practices in Winery Operations Conference (Napa, 3/19 – 3/20)
James W. Terry Director at Dickenson, Peatman & Fogarty and chair of the firm’s business practice group, will serve as as program co-chair at the annual “Best Practices in Winery Operations” conference hosted by The Seminar Group, to be held on March 19 and 20, 2015 at The River Terrace Inn in Napa, California. The conference touches on many key issues facing the wine industry today including:
- The history and future of Napa’s Winery Definition Ordinance.
- Employment law issues surrounding winery volunteers, interns, and immigration.
- Applying for, and creating value in, an AVA
- Issues facing next generation winemakers.
In addition to the usual group of legal experts leading the panels, this year’s seminar features many noted voices from the wine industry, including Andy Beckstoffer, Cathy Corison, Genevieve Janssens, Tegan Passalacqua, Matthew Rorick, and Richard Sanford. A full program schedule can be downloaded here, and you can register here.
Richard P. Mendelson Of Counsel at DP&F will moderate a session on Napa’s Winery Definition Ordinance which will include panelists Andy Beckstoffer (Owner, Beckstoffer Vineyards).
Gregory J. Walsh, Director at DP&F, will co-present a session on Volunteers, Interns, and Immigration.
Carol Ritter, Director at DP&F, will provide a presentation on the AVA application Process, and then lead a panel discussion on “Creating and Maintaining AVA Value,” with panelists Richard Sanford (Alma Rosa Winery & Vineyards) and Rex Stults (Government Relations Director, Napa Valley Vintners).
Katja Loeffelholz, Of Counsel at DP&F, will moderate a panel discussing on diversity in teh Vineyard and the Cellar, featuring leading women in the wine industry, including Cathy Corison (Corison Winery), Genevieve Janssens (Robert Mondavi Winery), Vanessa Robledo (Black Coyote Winery), Coral Brown (Brown Estate Vineyards, LLC) and Remi Coehn (Lede Family Wines/ Cliff Lede Vineyards).
John Trinidad, an attorney with DP&F’s Wine Law practice group, will lead a discuss about the opportunities and challenges facing young winemakers as they try to establish their own brands and locate vineyard sources. Panelists include Tegan Passalacquia (Head winemaker and Vineyard Manger for Turley Wine Cellars and Proprietor of Sandlands Wines), and Matthew Rorick (Winemaker and Proprietor, Forlorn Hope Wines).