Winemaking in Today’s Climate Conditions

Alisa Jacobson

Organization:

Turning Tide Wines, California

Owner, winemaker, environmentalist, and outdoor enthusiast Alisa Jacobson “AJ” founded Turning Tide Wines in 2018 under her company name, Wines by Alisa Jacobson, with the goal of showcasing the true essence of the grapes she harvests, respecting the elements each vineyard site provides, and helping Turn the Tide toward more sustainable and eco-friendly practices in vineyards and winemaking round the globe.

Her first Turning Tide wines were released in December of 2020, all showcasing eco-friendly farming and business practices. A year later, Jacobson (who goes by “AJ”) added “AJ”, “Rare North” and “Avec Moi”, all high-quality, sustainable, and value-driven wine brands.

A graduate of UC Davis with a degree in viticulture and enology, AJ has produced California sparkling wine, made Shiraz in Australia (while diving along the Great Barrier Reef), and worked at Joseph Phelps where she met Joel and Sarah Gott. Jacobson rose to the rank of VP of Winemaking, overseeing a team of 35, and managing all winery and vineyard operations throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, as well as international projects all over the world. She passed the baton back to Joel and Sarah Gott in 2020 and set out to forge her own path with a renewed and passionate focus on making wine from organic and sustainably-farmed vineyards in coastal regions of California and Oregon.

AJ assumed a lease on an iconic winery in Santa Ynez Valley in August of 2022. This is now where AJ makes her “Made with Organically Farmed Grapes” Avec Moi and Turning Tide wines, both labels certified organic. The winery project has been named Milestone for its commitment to regenerative and organic farming and winemaking practices. She adheres to strict organic and vegan only winemaking practices at Milestone and makes wine from her two vineyards she owns in the Santa Ynez Valley..
Dedicated to her cause of trying to help the wine industry become more sustainable and climate-forward, AJ also serves as Co-Chair of the Unified Grape and Wine Symposium Program Development Committee, the Chair of the Research Committee of the West Coast Smoke Exposure Task Force and a number of wine industry advisory boards, all to further her passion for education outreach and to raise awareness for global climate change impacts —and of course, to help Turn the Tide on how vineyards are farmed around the globe by way of outreach and education. AJ believes that by demonstrating the success and quality of wines made by organically and sustainable vineyard practices, she can inspire and provide examples to others on how to be more climate pro-active.

PJ Alviso

Organization:

Duckhorn Wine Company, California

PJ has a B.S. in Wine and Viticulture from Cal Poly and a MBA from Sonoma State. After working for Jackson Family Wines in Santa Barbara County, PJ joined Duckhorn Wine Company in June of 2007, and has since worked across all aspects of Vineyard Management, Viticulture, and Grower Relations. In his current role, he directs all of Duckhorn’s Winegrowing efforts in the broader California regions and Washington State, with a primary focus on the industry-leading Decoy brand.

Ben-Min Chang

Organization:

Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada

Ben-Min Chang is the Research Scientist of Viticulture and Plant Physiology in Summerland Research and Development Centre, British Columbia, Canada. Ben-Min joined Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Summerland in March 2022. Previously, he received his PhD degree and worked as postdoctoral research associated at the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in Prosser, Washington, USA.

Ben-Min had diverse experiences working in the field of viticulture. Starting with table grape research in subtropical Taiwan in 2008, he studied grape berry splitting and heat stress management in Washington state since 2013. His current research focus on the grapevine stress management. Specifically, he is interested in managing cold, heat, and drought stress of wine grapes in the Okanagan and Similkameen valley.

Thomas Collins

Organization:

Washington State University, Tri-Cities

Dr. Collins is an Assistant Professor of Grape and Wine Chemistry in the Viticulture and Enology Program at Washington State University. He manages a research program in wine and spirits aroma and flavor chemistry and teaches course in wine chemistry and winery operations. Tom’s current research focuses on the impacts of wildfire smoke exposure on grape and wine quality.

Prior to joining WSU in 2015, Dr. Collins was the Director of Research for the Food Safety and Measurement Facility at U.C. Davis. He received his Ph.D. in Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry from U.C. Davis in 2012. He has also served as the President of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture.

Elisabeth Forrestel

Organization:

University of California, Davis

Elisabeth Forrestel is an Assistant Professor at the University of California at Davis in the Department of Viticulture & Enology. She researches the ecophysiological and evolutionary basis of grapevine responses to extreme heat and drought, and how impacts of climate change on vine health and berry chemistry can be mitigated by agronomic practices.