WIN Sponsors VESTA Wine Sensory Evaluation Workshop

Hosted by the Wine Business Institute at the North Coast Wine Industry Expo

Rohnert Park, CA – A three-part collaborative effort between Wine Industry Network (WIN), VESTA and Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute is bringing a Sensory Evaluation Workshop to the North Coast Wine Industry Expo December 3^rd and 5^th, 2014.  VESTA sensory instructor Zoran Ljepovic, Winemaking Quality Control at Constellation Brands, Oakville, CA, will be leading attendees through the principles of sensory evaluation used in commercial wine making.  The first day of the workshop will focus on white wines and the second day on reds while exploring standard benchmarks with sensory kits, faults and flaws of wines, and sensory evaluation tips.  While VIN 266 students in the VESTA program must attend both days of the workshop, it is also open to the public who may attend either Wednesday, Friday or both.  WIN, the organization behind the North Coast Wine Industry Expo is offering free admission to the expo on Thursday to anyone registered for the Sensory Evaluation Workshop.

VESTA National Center of Excellence (The Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance) is funded by the National Science Foundation and administered by Missouri State University.  The Alliance is a partnership between 17 universities and two-year colleges across the nation, all with a 21st century vision for education in grape growing and winemaking.  Sonoma State University is VESTA’s California partner and has helped shape their wine business curriculum over the past 5 years.  The goal of VESTA is to establish self-sustaining educational programs which will provide students with a foundation of the science, mathematics and technology skills needed for a productive career in the grape and wine industry.

For more information, including details on the Sensory Evaluation Workshop visit www.sonoma.edu/winebiz or contact Jessica Heing, jessica.heing@sonoma.edu or 707-664-3347

About Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute

Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute is located in the heart of California wine country and was created through a public-private partnership between the university and the wine industry. Founded in 1996, it is the first program in the United States to offer undergraduate and graduate degrees focused exclusively on the business aspects of the wine industry. In addition to its academic programs the Wine Business Institute offers an array of seminars and certificates. Its faculty members are published experts, active researchers, and requested presenters on pressing industry topics.  The Wine Business Institute operates within Sonoma State’s School of Business and Economics, a fully accredited AACSB institution.  Learn more at sonoma.edu/winebiz