No and Low-Alcohol Winemaking: Market Insights, Chemical Dynamics, and Industry Perspectives (includes tasting)
January 28, 2025
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
No and Low-Alcohol Winemaking: Market Insights, Chemical Dynamics, and Industry Perspectives (includes tasting)
This year’s session builds on last year’s session, No and Low-Alcohol Winemaking, continuing to explore the evolving trends in no and low-alcohol winemaking. We will start with presentations on market sales, offering analysis of the current landscape and growth opportunities. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the chemical matrix, learning about the importance of alcohol content in wine products and its impact on flavor, stability, and consumer perception. Highlighting the session will be a panel discussion featuring industry leaders from the spirits, beer, and wine sectors, who have successfully launched products in the no-alcohol category.
These panelists will share their experiences, challenges, and strategies, providing valuable perspectives for those looking to excel in this space. Finally, the session will address labeling and compliance concerns, ensuring that producers are well-equipped to navigate the regulatory landscape of no and low-alcohol wines.
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Moderator
Steven Kukesh
Organization:
Delicato Family Wines, California
Steven Kukesh, Director of Winemaking Research & Development at Delicato Family Wines since 2015, brings over 15 years of research winemaking expertise to the industry. A graduate in Biological Sciences from California State University, Stanislaus, Steven’s commitment to winemaking is reflected in his leadership. Upon joining Delicato, he undertook the task of building the research program from scratch. Since then, he has collaborated with the entire winegrowing team to implement a diverse array of projects spanning processing, ingredients, equipment, and vineyard evaluations, ensuring a comprehensive approach to advancing winemaking practices while prioritizing wine quality. Steven has also introduced a sensory program, both internally and externally, and has spearheaded product development initiatives.
Speakers
Jon Berg
Organization:
Nielsen IQ, California
Jon has been working in the beverage alcohol industry for the last 20 years. His work history has been with MillerCoors, Bacardi USA and LVMH Moet Hennessy. Jon’s roles have been focused on commercial insights development, category management, shopper / consumer research, and retail pricing design. His investigative work and primary consumer research have taken him to all the major US and Canadian markets, as well as global projects in Europe. Now working in the Thought Leadership framework at NielsenIQ for the last three years, Jon is working across BevAl segments to develop insights that can support and help define NIQ client and industry success.
James Conery
Organization:
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., California
James Conery has been in the brewing industry for over 19 years, 14 of which have been with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. James leads new product development and innovation for SNBCo. James has held many hats within SNBCo. including leading cellar, filter, and production operations.
His current role is as the Innovation Brewmaster Sierra. Recently he has led his team to create a wide range of products including the creation of the Strainge Beast line of hard kombucha, Tea West line of hard teas and the newer Nonalcoholic Beer portfolio and Hop Splash hop waters.
Rita Hansen
Organization:
GALLO, California
Rita Hansen is the Senior Director of Distillation & Beverage Making for Gallo. She has worked for Gallo for 19 years, holding various roles in the production of spirits and beverages over those years. She has a B.A. in biology CSU San Francisco and a B.A. in chemistry from CSU Stanislaus, and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
James Harbertson
Title:
Organization:
Washington State University, Tri-Cities
Jim Harbertson is an Associate Professor of Enology at Washington State University’s Wine Science Center located at the Tri-Cities Campus in Richland, Washington and is a faculty member in the Viticulture and Enology Department. He received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and doctorate in agricultural chemistry from the University of California at Davis. Jim’s research primarily focuses on the phenolic compounds found in grapes and wine and their biochemical and chemical changes during grape ripening, winemaking and aging, but has deviated of late and now includes the impacts of alcohol on wine sensory.
Dr. Harbertson is an associate editor for the Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research and the MDPI journal Beverages. Jim is also an active volunteer for the American Society of Enology and Viticulture currently serving on the Unified managing committee. Jim is a past president of ASEV, former secretary treasurer and served for numerous years as the technical program chair.