Contact: David Bower
Enology Instructor and Winemaker
336-386-3569
bowerd@surry.edu
Dobson, NC – Feb. 15, 2012. Surry Community College will host a symposium uniting winemakers and grape growers from across the southeastern United States in a collaborative effort to support and expand the region’s wine industry.
The United Southeastern Grape and Wine Symposium, scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 13th – 14th at the Shelton-Badgett North Carolina Center for Viticulture and Enology, will feature educational workshops and seminars from some of the most distinguished enology and viticulture researchers on the east coast. The event is co-sponsored with the Viticulture Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA), a partnership of 17 colleges and universities nationwide that delivers groundbreaking distance education opportunities for the grape and wine industry.
The symposium will advance the mission of VESTA by identifying educational needs for the region and promoting online courses and degree programs delivered through the national alliance. Last fall, SCC received a $213,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop online educational opportunities and to become a part of the VESTA National Center for Excellence, serving the southeastern United States. April’s symposium is a key component in the college fulfilling its leadership role within the alliance.
“The symposium will unite the southeast wine region as we work together to promote and support the industry,” said David Bower, enology instructor and winemaker for SCC. “In addition to educational seminars, the symposium will have technical, hands-on sessions for attendees to gain valuable experience using SCC’s vineyard lab and bonded winery.”
Industry professionals from North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida are invited to attend the symposium. Attendees will receive professional instruction using the college facilities, hear from distinguished speakers on latest industry research, and learn more about the region’s wines through tastings and food pairings. Wines from all eight states in the region will be featured at a Grand Southeastern Wine Tasting at sunset on the patio of the Shelton-Badgett NC Center for Viticulture and Enology.
Throughout the symposium, participants and organizers will discuss ways to better address industry challenges and provide online educational resources for wineries and vineyards across the southeast region.
Among the symposium’s featured speakers:
- Dr. Peter Cousin, Director for the USDA Grape Genetics Research Unit on Rootstock and Rootstock Management, Cornell University
- Dr. Ian Taplin expert on industry comparison between the southeast U.S. and California, visiting professor at the University de Bordeaux in France and professor at Wake Forest University,
- Barbara Shinn, expert in biodynamic wines and sustainable viticulture, Shinn Estate Vineyards, Long Island, NY
Registration fee for the two-day symposium is $100. To learn more about the symposium or register to attend, contact Bower at 336-386-3569 or bowerd@surry.edu
About Surry Community College
Surry Community College was founded in 1964 and is located in Dobson, North Carolina. As one of the state’s 58 community colleges, it serves Surry and Yadkin counties. Currently, Surry offers thirty degree programs, seventeen diploma programs, and twenty-four certificate programs, with hundreds of continuing education courses and seminars. The college, under the direction of President Dr. David R. Shockley, has a mission to promote personal growth and community development to a diverse population through excellence in teaching, learning, and service.