FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Unified Wine & Grape Symposium Announces Expansion to Fourth Day

SACRAMENTO, CA, July 31, 2008 – To fully address the breadth of issues shaping the wine industry, organizers of the 2009 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium are extending the traditional three-day program to a fourth day. Opening on Tuesday, January 27, 2009, the program presentations will now run through Friday, January 30, with the addition of a full-day Aroma Symposium.

“By expanding to Friday, we can offer guests a fuller program and take the time needed to give this topic the comprehensive attention it merits,” says Unified’s Program Development Committee Chair Dr. John Thorngate.

With increased consumer consciousness about carbon footprints, environmental practices and energy efficiency, the opening Unified Symposium session on Tuesday will explore the business proposition for implementing sustainable practices. Featured speakers include Gene Kahn, vice president of global sustainable development for General Mills, and Ken McCorkle of Well Fargo Bank. Afternoon sessions will cover topics such as the economics of sustainable practices in the field, the practical aspects of retrofitting wineries to be more “green” and how to effectively communicate your commitment to sustainability.

“We’re putting together a program that addresses the alignment of sound business practices with consumer expectations of environmental practices while maintaining profitability,” said Thorngate. “It’s not enough to say you’re green, you have to show how you’re green.”

Other highlights of the Symposium include a viticulture session on lessons learned to maximize vineyard production, marketing issues relevant to growers and wineries of all sizes with an emphasis on understanding millennial interests and communication styles, and a joint winemaking/grape growing Grenache session and tasting.

In addition to four days of presentations including panel discussions and a symposium, the Unified Symposium also hosts the Western Hemisphere’s largest wine industry trade show of its kind, with over 550 vendors displaying their products and services. The trade show is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, January 28 and 29.

Jointly presented by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture and the California Association of Winegrape Growers, the Unified Symposium is built with the collective input of growers, vintners and allied industry members. It serves as a clearinghouse of information important to wine and grape industry professionals. For additional information, please call (530) 753-1342 or on the Internet go to www.unifiedsymposium.org.