Largest Wine Industry Trade Show On East Coast To Welcome Over 800 Attendees

Richmond, VA – Enthusiasm for the upcoming Wineries Unlimited wine trade show and conference is resulting in a remarkable pre-show response among both exhibitors and attendees. The largest wine industry trade show on the east coast, Wineries Unlimited has sold 290 exhibitor booths to over 270 companies for the annual three-day event.

“While the nation is still struggling to recover from its economic troubles, job markets have begun to show a slight upward trend, and it appears that a number of the wine trade are again feeling bullish on the future of wine in America,” said conference organizer Rob Merletti.

Now in its 36^th year, the show is organized specifically for the needs of the eastern US wine market, and wine buyers look forward to its Buyer's Marketplace to make their annual purchases. This year will offer an international flavor as representatives from France, Italy, and Canada join the ranks of exhibitors.

Wineries Unlimited Trade Show & Conference will take place March 27-29 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in  Richmond, Virginia. The trade show has already registered over 800 attendees, particularly impressive since the event is still seven weeks away, and registration often peaks in the last weeks before the show.

Conference sessions will focus on topics for today's wine industry including enology, viticulture, management, marketing, and financial issues, with key industry players serving as moderators for their own areas of expertise. In a local twist, a Grand Gala dinner entitled “Best of the East” will offer a new dining experience called "A Taste of Virginia," filled with delicious choices unique to the state and region. For registration and complete information about the program please see www.wineriesunlimited.com.

ABOUT WINERIES UNLIMITED

Wineries Unlimited is a division of Vineyard & Winery Management, the leader in wine industry professional development and North America's leading independent wine trade publication. This event proudly supports the eastern wine trade through its affiliations with ASEV/ES, WineAmerica, and other key organizations who bring strength to the eastern wine regions and the wine industry as a whole.

It's time to meet, network, educate, shop, and join in a good time with old friends and new acquaintances. Be sure to put your name on our mailing list if you're not already. While you're at it, tell a friend about this dynamic event. Make your business more successful...make the trip to Wineries Unlimited!

We feel so strongly that you should attend Wineries Unlimited that we’ve decided to extend our early bird savings of 15% off Full Conference Packages through the end of the event. This package affords you access to everything Wineries Unlimited has to offer including sessions, the trade show, and social events!

http://www.wineriesunlimited.com/

It's the Wineries Unlimited 2012 Sneak Peek!

Eastern in Scope, Diverse in Flavor

Wineries Unlimited is the conference and trade show designed for an eastern audience. Registration is officially open and there's still time to save, so here’s for a sneak peek of this year’s official promotional brochure.  Click on the image below to see a digital version of our entire advance program guide that will be arriving in your mailbox soon.

FREE Trade Show Pass!
Bring your shopping list and be prepared to make your annual purchases at this two-day event March 28-29.  Over 300 exhibitors will be on hand to address all your needs and wants. See our current list of exhibitors.  Gain FREE ENTRANCE if you register by January 31, 2012 ($30 value) - includes lunch and happy hour!

Package Price Break:
Your Best Value:  The Full Conference Package
Why:  It gets you into everything at Wineries Unlimited including the trade show – an $870 value.

Early Bird Price: $510 (Regular Price: $610) 
Early Birds savings ends January 31, 2012

Featured "Don't Miss" Sessions:

Marketing Workshop

 New!  Winery DIY
TUESDAY, March 27
Moderator: Elizabeth Slater
Learn to “do-it-yourself” in this fun and instructive marketing workshop.  Plus, attendees will enjoy a Riedel sensory tasting with a take-away set of complimentary Riedel glassware!

Marketing
WEDNESDAY, March 28
Moderator: Paul Wagner
9:45 am - 10:45 am
What Wine Writers Want...and Don’t Want
Speaker: David McIntyre, wine columnist, Washington Post

Viticultureand Enology—Joint Sessions
WEDNESDAY, March 28
Moderators: Dr. Keith Striegler, University of Missouri and Dr. Bruce Zoecklein, Virginia Tech
11:00 am - 11:45 am
Microbiology-An Answer to Grape Growing and Winemaking? The Case of Burgundy
Speaker: Professor Pascal Duran, University of Burgundy

Enology
THURSDAY, March 29
Moderator:  Dr. Bruce Zoecklein, Virginia Tech
10:15 am - 11:00 am
Influence of Yeast Strain Selection on Malolactic Fermentation
Speaker: Dr. Nichola Hall-Scott Laboratories

Best of the East Grand Gala

Networking and socializing continues at our formal evening. Enjoy wine tasting and appetizers followed by a dinner entitled, "A Taste of Virginia". Following dinner, the Featured Keynote Speaker will be Alyssa Rapp (pictured), Founder and CEO of Bottlenotes, Inc.

A Taste of Virginia Menu
Options currently include: Chef Carved Baked Virginia Ham with molasses, brown sugar, and mustard glaze, BarBQ Sliced Beef, grilled to order mini Virginia Crab Cakes with Margarita and remoulade sauce, Chef Danny's famous Crab Soup, Tossed Green Salad with Creamy Peppercorn and Raspberry Vinaigrette, Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Basil Mashed Sweet Potatoes with butter, Baby Butter Beans, Baked Cheddar Potatoes, Peach and Cherry Cobblers with vanilla ice cream, Pecan Pie, Cornbread and Hushpuppies. 

Keynote Speaker: Alyssa Rapp

Full Event Details
Visit wineriesunlimited.com or call 866-483-0172

Register Here
Take advantage of our early bird offers and register now for the best savings!  See travel and hotel deals here.

Look in your mailboxes soon for the official brochure and be sure to tell a friend or colleague.  We hope to see you in Richmond this March!

Sincerely,

Miki Hodge
Event Coordinator
Wineries Unlimited Trade Show and Conference
303.530.0205 x24
mhodge@vwm-online.com

Official Sponsors:

This event endorsed by:

VWM brands:

Registration is Open

• Sign up early for deepest discounts!
• Free Trade Show passes if you sign up in advance!

We are pleased to announce that our expert panel of moderators will be returning to Richmond in March for the 2012 Wineries Unlimited Conference and Trade Show.

(L to R) Elizabeth Slater, In Short Direct Marketing; Keith Striegler, Ph.D., University of Missouri;
Bruce Zoecklein; Ph.D., Virginia Tech; Paul Wagner, Balzac Communications and Marketing.

Their mission? To develop the best possible program with an eastern focus that embodies this year’s theme: “Eastern in Scope, Diverse in Flavor”.

Our moderators are actively lining up speakers and topics right now. As soon as those details are available, we’ll post them to our website. In the meantime, we encourage you to sign up early and SAVE!

Three Ways to Save!

1. If you’re an avid Wineries Unlimited attendee and don’t need advance notice of topics and speakers, our Super Saver option from now through October is for you! You’ll enjoy the greatest discounts.

2. Groups of 5 or more will qualify for group discounts of 10% off these already discounted prices.

3. This year, Trade Show passes are absolutely FREE if you sign up in advance. See our rapidly growing list of exhibitors. Trade show includes lunch and happy hour both days.

Wineries Unlimited delivers the quality experience you've come to expect and enjoy. For 35 years, this event has been the hub and meeting place uniting the entire eastern wine industry. On behalf of the entire Wineries Unlimited staff, I look forward to seeing you at Wineries Unlimited in Richmond, Virginia this March.

Sincerely,

Robert Merletti
CEO/Publisher, Vineyard & Winery Management magazine

Starting tomorrow, March 29 - April 1, 2011, Wineries Unlimited celebrates its 35th anniversary in a new location, the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia. The new General Session kick-off is open to all conference and trade show attendees, exhibitors and other personnel at Wineries Unlimited this year.

Wineries Unlimited has proven to be the largest and most powerful wine industry event in the eastern US. It's the meeting place for vineyard, wine making and tasting room decision makers from all over the globe.

Several high profile special guests will be on hand this year. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell is scheduled to attend the Best of the East Grand Gala, along with Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the state of Virginia, Todd Haymore. Jim Trezise, President of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, will present the address t the Keynote Speaker Lunch. These are ticket-only events with limited seating, so reserve your space early. Seats are included for Full Conference Pass holders.

Click here for more information about the event!

Back by popular demand will be Virginia native and leader in the wine & grape industry Andy Beckstoffer, President of Beckstoffer Vineyards, who will attend the Regional Wine Welcome Reception on March 29 and speak at the General Session on March 30th. This session is open to everyone attending Wineries Unlimited, for more information and to register click here

We are delighted to have Jim Trezise, president of the New York Wine & Grape Foundation, as our Keynote Speaker at the Keynote Lunch on March 31. He will share his thoughts and ideas on today's wine industry in a speech entitled, "American Wine Industry Growth: Opportunities and Challenges." This is a ticket-only event requiring pre-registration (included with Complete Conference Package holders). Seating is limited, so book early!

Wineries Unlimited 2011, the second largest vineyard and winery trade show and conference in North America, announces details to the workshops “Public Relations Intensive” and “Tasting Room Profitability and Wine Club Summit”. Produced by Vineyard & Winery Management magazine (www.vwm-online.com) since 1976, the event takes place March 29-April 1, 2011 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center (www.richmondcenter.com) in Richmond, Virginia. A schedule for the entire conference is available at www.wineriesunlimited.com/speakers_topics/index.asp.

Public Relations Intensive: “The biggest bang you can get for your buck”
The Public Relations Intensive: “The biggest bang you can get for your buck” (9am – 1 pm, Friday, April 1), with moderator Paul Wagner of Balzac Communications and Marketing, demonstrates how small wineries can get the most out of their public relations efforts — from press releases and sample mailings to sponsorships, donations, and special events. Wagner will identify ways that wineries can maximize their public relations budgets and time: media relations, advertising and promotions, events and sponsorships, and consumer-direct relationship marketing.

Tasting Room Profitability and Wine Club Summit
The Tasting Room Profitability and Wine Club Summit workshop (10am – 4pm, Tuesday, March 29) will be moderated by Elizabeth Slater of InShort Marketing. The morning programming consists of two sessions related to Tasting Room Profitability:

“Acquisition: Attracting Visitors To Your Tasting Room”, with speaker Andrew Hudson of Veritas Vineyards & Winery, Virginia, focuses on strategies to bring people to a winery, tactics to make a winery stand out from the crowd, and steps to create connections with winery customers.

“Retention: Connecting with visitors and turning them into long-term, loyal customers”, with speaker Merrill Bonarrigo, Messina Hof Winery, Texas, advises wineries on how they can turn visitors into customers who regularly purchase wine, attend events, and become brand ambassadors via customer contact lists, communication with customers through all channels, and messaging that activates the customers’ desire to purchase.

The afternoon programming is divided into two Wine Club Summit sessions:

“Acquisition: Turning Visitors Into Club Members”, with speaker Elizabeth Slater, presents proven techniques for increasing club member acquisition. Attendees will receive sales tools to effectively sell club memberships, understand what makes visitors join wine clubs, and help guests internalize the value of membership.

“Retention: Keeping Members in the Club”, with speaker Amy Helton of Hanover Park Winery, North Carolina, demonstrates how to retain club members by forging bonds to keep club members loyal, segmenting contact lists to improve retention, and developing tactics to bring members back should they resign.

Trade Show and Conference Summary: March 29-April 1, 2011:
• Tuesday workshops: “Industry Newcomers” and “Tasting Room Profitability and Wine Club Summit”
• Wednesday and Thursday: multi-track conference sessions on viticulture, enology, and sales and marketing
• Wednesday and Thursday: two-day “buyers’ trade show” for the Eastern wine industry
• Friday workshop: Public Relations Intensive: “The Biggest Bang You Can Get for Your Buck”
• Networking: Welcome Wine Reception, Keynote Speaker Luncheon, Best of the East Grand Gala, and more
 
Registration, Lodging and Travel
Attendees may register for a variety of packages via www.wineriesunlimited.com or obtain general information at 866.483.0172. Lodging and travel deals are available at www.wineriesunlimited.com/directions_lodging.

Over 2,300 winery personnel from 30 American states as well as Washington, D.C. and four Canadian provinces attended Wineries Unlimited in March 2010.

About Vineyard & Winery Management
Vineyard & Winery Services, Inc. publishes the leading independent award-winning wine trade publication Vineyard & Winery Management magazine (www.vwm-online.com) and Winedex® (Wine Industry Index). Based in Santa Rosa, California, the multimedia corporation also produces seminars, conferences and trade shows (Wineries Unlimited, Midwest Grape and Wine Conference, Wine Sales Summit – direct-to-consumer [formerly Tasting Room Profitability and Wine Club Summit], and Managing the Winery Laboratory) as well as three wine competitions (Grand Harvest Awards, International Eastern Wine Competition, and West Coast Wine Competition).

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Truly one of a kind! What sets Grand Harvest Awards apart from the rest? One word...terroir. Established in 1990, it is the only wine-judging event in North America that is based on terroir - a group of vineyards (or even vines) from the same region, belonging to a specific appellation, and sharing the same type of soil, weather conditions, grapes and wine making savoir-faire, which contribute to give its specific personality to the wine.

In other competitions, this factor is ignored. At the Grand Harvest, judges taste wines with other wines of the same appellation. Thus, with cross-regional competition removed, the inherent quality of wines can be seen without the influences that sometimes eclipse even a wine of very high quality.

A goal of Grand Harvest is to learn more about how terroir contributes qualities of excellence and distinctiveness to wines. Over the course of this event, judges have learned to recognize when terroir is - and is not - a factor of wine quality. We think the bar has been lifted a little, and as a result, each year we perceive greater interest in terroir by winemakers and critics alike. Favorable awards support increased local and regional sales. A win in Grand Harvest can put your wine into a whole new sales category.

All wines are judged in the context of their viticultural region in order to accomplish two things: greater sensitivity to the complexities and nuances of regional wines and also to measure the influence of regional soil and weather characteristics on the taste and quality of individual wines.

The 2009 Grand Harvest Awards, completed its mission to recognize outstanding wines from all over the world and simultaneously studying the effects of terroir on wine characteristics. The 19th annual Grand Harvest Awards was held February 18-20, 2009 at Sonoma Mountain Village, Rohnert Park, California. Twenty-one judges (seven panels of three) evaluated over 1,600 entries and awarded a total of 1,193 medals including 142 gold, 493 silver and 558 bronze. Garnering medals at the Grand Harvest Awards has been tough to achieve historically because of its high standards of excellence. Wine competitions are invaluable purchasing tools that help consumers choose from over 5,000 wineries in the US alone.

Most entries in the Grand Harvest Awards were grown and produced in the United States and Canada with some originating in Australia, Eurasia (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Turkey), Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa and South America (Argentina and Chile). In Grand Harvest there are two principal classes of entry; those with specific geographical appellations and those without. Both are treated with equal emphasis, but terroir discovery is not attempted in classes without geographical specificity. To win, your wine must be nominated for Bronze or higher by each of the three judges. 2010 judging staff includes:

• George M. Taber-author of "Judgment of Paris: California vs. France and the Historic 1976 Paris Tasting That Revolutionized Wine"
• Tim McNally-The Wine Show radio host, WIST, AM 690, New Orleans
• Eric Degerman-Managing Editor, Wine Press Northwest
• William S. Bloxsom-Carter-Executive Chef/ Food & Beverage Director, Playboy Mansion West
• Jim Trezise-President, New York Wine & Grape Foundation
• This wine competition is open to all commercial wines marketing in North America.

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