Dr. Ron Runnebaum works on improving processes for more sustainable use of natural resources, including those important in winemaking. He is a faculty member in the Departments of Viticulture & Enology and Chemical Engineering at the University of California at Davis (UC Davis). His research program in the Department of Viticulture & Enology aims to combine his interests in sustainable winemaking with his research background in nanomaterials, adsorption, heterogeneous catalysis, and reaction engineering. Dr. Ron Runnebaum’s wine research includes elucidating contributions of vineyard site on wine chemistry/sensory and seeking alternatives for removing potassium bitartrate and proteins.
Leveraging Technology to Increase Sustainability
January 25, 2023
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
Leveraging Technology to Increase Sustainability
CEU available*)
Breakout Session Sponsor
As water becomes scarcer and energy becomes more expensive, we need to look to new technologies for sustainability shifts in our winemaking practices.
This one-hour session will cover some of the new technologies that already exist and how some wineries are using them to their advantage as they become more sustainable.
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Speakers
Nate Weis
Organization:
Silver Oak Cellars, California
A Napa Valley native whose father is also a winemaker, Nate grew up with wine on the table and a drawer full of t‐shirts emblazoned with winery logos. His first job after graduating with honors from UC Santa Barbara with a BS in Biopsychology was as a “cellar rat” at Groth Vineyards & Winery. “I loved that first harvest, so I packed my bags, dropped my application for UC Davis in the mail and went off to Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand to work another.” After earning an MS in Viticulture and Enology from UCD, he was hired as cellar master at Etude, and then spent two years as assistant winemaker for Patz & Hall Wine Company. In 2008 Nate was hired by Marchese Piero Antinori to be winemaker for Antica Napa Valley. He earned an Executive MBA in Wine Business from Sonoma State University in 2014.
Nate joined Silver Oak & Twomey as Silver Oak Winemaker in 2014, was promoted to Director of Winemaking in 2017, and then Vice President of Winegrowing in 2019. His responsibilities center around leading the team that handles all aspects of farming, grower relations, and winemaking for Silver Oak, Twomey, OVID, and Timeless Napa Valley.
Bob Coleman
Organization:
Treasury Wine Estates, California
Bob Coleman has 25+ years of experience in the wine industry, that time spent primarily as a winemaker at Chateau St. Jean in Sonoma County. He more recently finished a PhD in 2019 on the kinetics of wine oxidation. Currently, he is working at Beringer Winery leading commercial winery innovation and precision winemaking, including efforts towards energy and water efficiency practices and improved fermentation performance.
Ron Runnebaum
Organization:
University of California, Davis
Wolfgang Weiss
Organization:
ergSol, California
Wolfgang Weiss, CTO and Co-founder of ergSol, is driven by his strong belief in sustainability, his passion for innovation, and his focus on best fit solutions all to shape a place worth living for generations to come. ergSol provides innovative, advanced solar thermal heating and cooling solutions. Emphasis is placed on integrated solutions designed to fit the customer needs and to ensure installation efficiency and easy maintenance. He worked as an executive and CTO across several alternative energy industries on emerging technologies, renewable energy, alternative fuels, manufacturing, and thermodynamic solutions. He has proven technical expertise and leadership competencies, as well as an ability to “see what’s next”, all honed from working in corporate hierarchical organizational structures, startup ventures, as well as in collaborative organizational structures. He holds an advanced Master of Science in Physics from the University of Stuttgart, Germany.