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Seminar:

The 2012 Seminar was absolutely excellent, ask anyone who was there, including the speakers. 
The seminar next year is Saturday, August 3, 2013. We will have another great schedule of presentations.  Please remember that our speakers come to us at their own expense and are not paid for their efforts, so when you can, please support them.  

We are well on the way to bringing you another excellent seminar so do plan on attending. 
Ed Lavin will be at the seminar this year.

Here is who we have lined up for 2013: 

Ed Lavin of the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station (part of Cornell University) will present "Analyzing Wine: the Devils (and Angels!) are in the details".  Ed presented a talk on Wine Odors in 2006.  That was a most informative presentation that was very well received.  For those of you who don't know Ed, then the following should help. 

Research support professional in the Food Science Dept. at the Cornell University NYS Agricultural Experiment Station (NYSAES) specializing in the mass spectrometry and olfactometric analysis of foods and beverages.

Research:  co-author on 25 publications related to food and flavor analysis.

Through Cornell provides contract analyses for many of the world’s largest food and beverage companies. 

A regular panelist evaluating wines for the Enology and grape breeding programs at Cornell. 

Finals Wine judge at the NY State Fair 

A home winemaker specializing in making potable wines using left over grapes from the Cornell breeding program.

In addition to Cornell duties, since 1995  chief field engineer for Datu Inc. of Geneva NY,  a Cornell spinoff business that markets flavor and  aroma analysis systems worldwide.  

Awards:

NYSAES - Cornell University Employee of the Year 1997

If you think that Ed knows his way around wine aromas, then you are most correct.  Remember, we will likely have a PDF of his presentation, but you can only ask questions  and get answers if you come to the seminar.

Daniel Pambianchi will be speaking on "Tannins and Anthocyanins: Behaviors and Impacts in Wine".  If you don't know about Mr. Pambianchi, then here is a bit about him.  Being Italian, Daniel grew up in a culture of food and wine, where wine is always part of a meal. At an early age, he enjoyed helping his father make wine at home, and was always fascinated by what seemed magic of it all at the time. Perhaps that's why he chose a path of learning pure and applied sciences. Speaking of magic, here's a little-known fact about Daniel: he performed as a semi-professional magician for over 20 years, delighting kids and all audiences with his dexterity and humor.

Daniel received his B. Eng. degree from McGill University in 1983, where he specialized in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has held various positions in his 20-year career in the telecom business, from product development to managing R&D teams, to launching network solutions that are part of today's communications networks.

Daniel's interest in wine continued as he resumed making wine at home while sharpening his winemaking knowledge and skills. He wanted to share his knowledge and experience, and in 1999 he published the first edition of his well-known book "Techniques in Home Winemaking." His book quickly became a best-seller and is currently in its third edition. He also published two other books: "Kit Winemaking" and the general interest book "Wine Myths, Facts and Snobberies."

But in 2003, Daniel wanted to pursue his dream of running a commercial winery. In 2004, he acquired Maleta Winery (www.MaletaWinery.com) in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario where he now makes award-winning wines from his 15-acre vineyard planted to vinifera varieties. His true passion, he admits, is sparkling wine: he enjoys making it, drinking it, talking about it, and writing about it, usually sharing it in good company with Italian food. And he is adamant about the best sparkling wines being crafted using the traditional method. In fact, if you visit his operation, the entire traditional method process is done by hand, including riddling, disgorging, and corking.

Daniel may be familiar to many of you. He has been a regular author for WineMaker magazine (www.WineMakerMag.com) since 2000 and serves as Technical Editor, and he also runs a small wine analysis lab for home winemakers (www.TechniquesInHomeWinemaking.com). Currently, Daniel is working on two other book projects: Wine Chemistry, and Wine Microbiology. As you can see Daniel is eminently qualified to speak to us on "Tannins and Anthocyanins: Behaviors and Impacts in Wine". 

Remember if you don't come, then you can't ask questions.  We will be allowing more than sufficient time for your questions.  We know that your questions make any presentation that much better, for everyone. 

After last year's seminar (2012) Daniel liked it so much that he volunteered to come back.  We did not even have to suggest it to him (read no arm twisting).  This says a lot about our seminar and those who attend it.

Michael Jones
This is just a place holder until Michael sends us his curriculum vitae. That being said, he would have contacted us much sooner if he had not been in central Mexico consulting to wineries there, as part of his position at Scott Labs.  Further, he has been a home winemaker as well for some 30 years.  I am sure that we all will find his insights illuminating. 

As we confirm our speaker and they provide us with a biography or a "Curriculum Vitae" it will be shown here.  Do come back to see who we have speaking at our seminar this year. 

Here is a list of speakers for 2012:

Daniel Pambianchi will be speaking on "Understanding and Managing Acids and pH: How to Sharpen Taste, Maintain Balance and Ensure Microbial Stability in Your Wines".  If you don't know about Mr. Pambianchi, then here is a bit about him.  Being Italian, Daniel grew up in a culture of food and wine, where wine is always part of a meal. At an early age, he enjoyed helping his father make wine at home, and was always fascinated by what seemed magic of it all at the time. Perhaps that's why he chose a path of learning pure and applied sciences. Speaking of magic, here's a little-known fact about Daniel: he performed as a semi-professional magician for over 20 years, delighting kids and all audiences with his dexterity and humor.

Daniel received his B. Eng. degree from McGill University in 1983, where he specialized in Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has held various positions in his 20-year career in the telecom business, from product development to managing R&D teams, to launching network solutions that are part of today's communications networks.

Daniel's interest in wine continued as he resumed making wine at home while sharpening his winemaking knowledge and skills. He wanted to share his knowledge and experience, and in 1999 he published the first edition of his well-known book "Techniques in Home Winemaking." His book quickly became a best-seller and is currently in its third edition. He also published two other books: "Kit Winemaking" and the general interest book "Wine Myths, Facts and Snobberies."

But in 2003, Daniel wanted to pursue his dream of running a commercial winery. In 2004, he acquired Maleta Winery (www.MaletaWinery.com) in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario where he now makes award-winning wines from his 15-acre vineyard planted to vinifera varieties. His true passion, he admits, is sparkling wine: he enjoys making it, drinking it, talking about it, and writing about it, usually sharing it in good company with Italian food. And he is adamant about the best sparkling wines being crafted using the traditional method. In fact, if you visit his operation, the entire traditional method process is done by hand, including riddling, disgorging, and corking.

Daniel may be familiar to many of you. He has been a regular author for WineMaker magazine (www.WineMakerMag.com) since 2000 and serves as Technical Editor, and he also runs a small wine analysis lab for home winemakers (www.TechniquesInHomeWinemaking.com). Currently, Daniel is working on two other book projects: Wine Chemistry, and Wine Microbiology. As you can see Daniel is eminently qualified to speak to us on "Understanding and Managing Acids and pH: How to Sharpen Taste, Maintain Balance and Ensure Microbial Stability in Your Wines". 

Remember if you don't come, then you can't ask questions.  We will be allowing more than sufficient time for your questions.  We know that your questions make any presentation that much better, for everyone. 

Brandon Seager grew up in Dallas, Texas and graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering.  He attended Cornell University and earned a Master Degree in Enology and Viticulture. In 2007 he started at Red Newt  as Cellar Master and became Asst. Winemaker in 2008, then became Winemaker in 2011.  Red Newts' Rieslings are among the best in New York and many score above 90 points.

Mark Patterson began his career in the Brewing Industry immediately after completing his Bachelor of Arts in History and Bachelor of Science in Biology from Brock University in St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Canada.  He trained and practiced his craft in his native Canada and the United Kingdom, obtaining a Diploma in Brewing Sciences from the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (Canada).  After returning from England, and after a prolonged period in other pursuits, he enrolled in the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University to advance his education and train in the Wine Industry.  Since then he has furthered his experience by training in his native Niagara, plus taken on assignments in California's Central Coast and Rhode Island before coming to Casa Larga in 2008. 

When he’s not drinking Aromatic Whites he can usually be found with a blend of Red varietals. Riesling and Muscato and are his favorite to produce.  “I believe Finger Lakes wines are on the path to finally being recognized as a fine wine region. It’s great to be part of the buzz, creating food friendly wines.”

Jonathan Oakes born and raised as a fourth generation fruit farmer, Jonathan pays tribute to his great grandfather and namesake of the family’s new venture, Leonard Oakes Estate Winery.   As great grandson of Leonard, Jonathan grew up on the family farm immersed in horticulture.           

Upon leaving high school, Jonathan spent a brief stint studying Anthropology at Mercyhurst College before finding the world of Oenology and Viticulture.  In an effort to find an education in this field that translated well to the surrounding geology and climate of the family farm, Jonathan chose to study in Ontario, Canada, at Niagara College.  While studying, Jonathan also managed the newly planted vineyards of the family farm and concurrently spent a harvest working for renowned winemaker Brian Schmidt, at Vineland Estates Winery.    

In early 2008 Jonathan finished school and came back to the family business full time, just as Leonard Oakes Estate Winery was beginning.  In the few short years that the Oakes winery has been in existence they have seen expansive growth from 600 to 8000 cases just this last year.  Fueling that growth have been numerous awards for their Rieslings, Chardonnays, Icewines and Ciders.  Leonard Oakes Estate Winery has also quickly become known for their unique, award winning versions of hybrid varieties that are relatively new to the marketplace.

Jonathan currently holds the titles Grape-grower and Winemaker for Leonard Oakes Estate Winery and Winemaker for Schulze Vineyards and Winery.  He also runs his own consulting business Artisan Wine Solutions, which works within the Niagara USA wine region.

Thomas G. Mitchell, graduate of University of Wisconsin, Madison Campus, BS, 1967, Emphasis in Zoology, strong background in science and agriculture.  Member of the  1966 National Championship Wisconsin Crew.

Writer of a number of publications dealing with winemaking and viticulture. 

1967-1972: Assistant Wildlife Refuge Manager - United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, Basking Ridge, NJ.

1972-1977:  Assistant Vineyard Manager - Eastside Industries, Inc.  Dundee, NY  120 acres of vineyard.  Planned use of and applied all pesticides, performed all task required in a vineyard operation.  Supervised 3 full time employees and up to 30 part time employees.

1977-present:  Self employed grape grower, Pa'tridge Run Farms, Dundee, NY  Owner-operator of original 36 acres of mostly native, replanted in 1984 to 21 acres of French Hybrid and Viniferas, some native varieties.

1978-present: developed alternate markets and started pressing operation of Fall Bright, The Winemakers Shoppe.


Off the farm vineyard experience:  1982-1994  Vineyard and Grower Relations Manager - The Taylor Wine Company, Hammondsport, NY.  Responsibility included decision making, planning, budgeting, contracting and scheduling of all operations and personnel in the three farm, 1110 acre Finger Lakes vineyard operation including 150 acres of Vinifera Grapes.  Administration of grower relations program included communicating with growers, contracting grape requirements, scheduling of grape deliveries and pressing operation.  Interacted with Director of Wine Production to coordinate  the activities of our departments.

This position was achieved through promotions to increasingly more responsible positions, spanning various mergers and acquisitions as outlined:

    1982 - Hired by Gold Seal Vineyards, Inc. as Assistant Vineyard Manager
    1983 - Promoted to Vineyard Manager.
    1984 - Gold Seal Merged with Taylor, Great Western, retained as Assistant Vineyard Manager.
    1985 - Promoted to Vineyard Manager of combined operation.
    1990 - Given additional responsibility of administrating Grower Relations - Promoted to Vineyard and Grower Relations Manager.
    1994 - When the company (Taylor Wine Company) was acquired by Canandaigua Wine Company, this position was a duplicate of existing positions and his position was eliminated.

Melissa Aellen is a student at Cornell University in Viticulture and Enology.  This summer she is working as an extension intern for Chris Gerling and Anna Katherine Mansfield.  Her family owns Lingnore Winecellars, the largest winery in Maryland, where she has worked since age 7.  She has worked with her father, the winemaker, in the cellar since she was 12.  Last summer she worked at Galena Cellars in Illinois.  While in her junior year she worked harvest at Sheldrake Point Winery with Dave Breeden.  This past January she spent three weeks in Napa at a custom crush winery called Bin to Bottle. 

PDF’s:

Presentations from previous seminars are available on the Seminar page.  These presentations have been converted to Portable Document Format (.pdf) format, which can be viewed with Adobe Reader, which is available free of charge.  In the past, some of the presentations were Power Point files, but not everyone has the Power Point program, so the format was changed to PDF.  Presentations from this year’s seminar will be added after the seminar has been held, when the presentations become available.

 

Website:

One of the areas we would like to expand in the website is to other winemaking clubs.  On the "Links" page there is a link to the Rochester Area Home Winemakers Club, and we would like to add links to more club websites.  Even if a home winemaking club does NOT have a website, then it could have a listing there, but no link, of course.  Just have a club officer send the information to:  webmaster@nys-homewine.info

 

Vintage:

By definition, the vintage of a wine is the year in which the fruit, generally grapes, is HARVESTED.  This is how ALL vintages are determined.  Not the year the wine is made or bottled.  If wine is made from a kit, and the vintage is not stated on the packaging or the wine is a blend of vintages, then it is a non-vintage wine.  That is not a fault or problem, in any competition, but it should be labeled N/V.   

 

What's the rush? 
One of the things we have found in winemaking is to not rush the process.  Don't hurry to finish a wine just to make a competition deadline.  You will get a better product, if everything happens in its own time. 

 

E-Mail Addresses:
Remember we do NOT spam, nor do we sell your e-mail address to spammers.  We will send you reminders about the seminar.  That should be not be more than once a month and at least twice a year.  If you have any questions, then please send an e-mail to webmaster@nys-homewine.info.