Napa/Sonoma, CA (February 12, 2025) – On Wednesday, February 12, from 3:00 – 5:30 p.m. PST, the Winemaking & Viticulture Roundtable of the Napa | Sonoma chapter of Women for WineSense (WWS) will host a timely technical presentation, “Vintage 2024 Insights and Data.” The event opens with a networking reception at Markham Vineyards followed by an engaging technical viticulture and winemaking research presentation and discussion with guest experts from ETS Labs research scientists Drs. Rich DeScenzo and Eric Hervé.
This event will be focused on actionable information to help attendees get a first look strategically at vintage 2024 overall and how their own experiences benchmark the composite data review and insights across the season from the vineyards and harvest, through new post-harvest wines. A lively Q&A session will follow the presentation and further the conversation about key varietals, regions and more.
This Roundtable is generously hosted at Napa Valley’s acclaimed Markham Vineyards by Winemaker and long-time WWS member, Kimberlee Nicholls. The Markham team are leaders in crafting world-class Napa Valley Bordeaux varietals, with Merlot taking center stage. Markham is located at 2812 St. Helena Hwy North, St. Helena CA 94574
ABOUT THE EVENT
The onsite event welcomes both WWS Winemaking & Viticulture Roundtable members and their professional guests that have received pre-approvals. Current WWS W&V Roundtable members may also access a private additional Zoom livestream. The presentation and discussion will not be recorded to ensure private, open technical discussion.
At 3:00 p.m. the event begins with a networking reception with winemaking and viticulture professional peers and the speakers enjoying hospitality and limited-edition Markham wines, followed by a 3:30 pm behind the scenes production tour. At 4:00 p.m., the program and livestream begin. A lively question and answer session follows.
WWS Napa | Sonoma chapter President, Julie Lumgair, notes, “Hosting this technical presentation is so well aligned with our members’ pursuit of excellence in their vineyards and cellars. It’s a fantastic way to benchmark vintage 2024 and get fresh thinking in candid discussions with our supportive Roundtable peers and our ETS guest experts.”
RSVP DETAILS
Please, no walk ins. The free roundtable meeting is open to active professional WWS Winemaking & Viticulture Roundtable members. Interested guest winemakers and viticulturists that have emailed and received confirmations through the Chair are warmly welcomed to attend one Roundtable for free before joining WWS if space is available.
Please pre-register no later than 2 pm., February 12 at this link.
All attendees are asked to bring a bottle or two of wine to share as a thank you to our host and speakers. To RSVP, or for any questions on this event or future WWS events, please contact the Roundtable Chair, Julie.Lumgair@gmail.com.
ABOUT THE WWS WINEMAKING & VITICULTURAL ROUNDTABLE
The Roundtable meets approximately six times a year, taking a harvest break. Current members of the WWS Napa / Sonoma W&V Roundtable work in the North Bay, Paso Robles, Santa Cruz, Central Coast and Washington, meeting both in person and though hybrid onsite / online formats.
Ana Diogo-Draper, long time WWS member of the Winemaking & Viticulture Planning Committee noted “Our past meeting topics have focused upon the C-suite professional skills and insights women winemakers and viticultural professionals need but aren’t always easy to get in their daily work environment.”
She further explained that, “Held for 35 years at some of Napa and Sonoma’s finest host wineries, and since 2020, expanded to both online and in person formats, our Roundtable programs have been a fantastic opportunity for over 100 member women winemakers and viticulturists to connect directly in a friendly professional forum, with experts that they otherwise wouldn’t get to meet for personal advice and questions. Some of our recent speakers have included top wine publication critics and senior editors, iconic winemakers, leading academics, global sensory consultants, sommeliers, media trainers, professional coaching experts, CFO’s and GM’s in panel discussions and key recruiters.”
Multiple Roundtables have developed for WWS industry members in finance, accounting, human resources, winemaking/viticulture and more. To join or learn more about the roundtables, please visit www.womenforwinesense.org.
ABOUT WOMEN FOR WINESENSE: WWS is a national not-for-profit organization 501(c)6. The Napa|Sonoma Chapter founded in 1990 is the founding chapter of this national organization which provides outstanding educational and networking opportunities to both wine industry professionals and wine enthusiasts by presenting educational, insightful and stimulating events in a welcoming, fun environment. Women and men 21 years old or more are welcome to join.
ABOUT ETS LABS : Since 1978, ETS has partnered with the world’s leading winemakers to deliver innovative, time-proven analytical tools, providing insights into the craft of modern wine making. ETS has pioneered the use of new technologies in the wine industry. With a long tradition of innovation, today ETS continues to invest heavily in new technologies and research for the wine industry. It has grown into one of the most advanced wine laboratories in the world.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS: Richard DeScenzo is the Microbiology Group Leader for ETS Laboratories and a member of the Leadership Team. Rich received his Masters in Plant Pathology and Ph. D. in Plant Biology at the University of New Hampshire, and conducted his postdoctoral studies on disease resistance genes in barley with the USDA/ARS at Iowa State University. He spent 10 years conducting research on grape genomics, development of molecular diagnostics, and fermentation monitoring in the wine industry. Dr. DeScenzo joined ETS in January 2006, leading the Microbiology Group and guiding the development of the Scorpion Wine Spoilage Detection Kit. Most recently, Richard has focused on transitioning the Scorpions technology for use in the fuel ethanol market. In addition to developing improved diagnostics for the fermentation industry, Richard works with clients to help them understand their microbial fermentation problems, and develop monitoring programs to prevent future problems.
Eric Herve received his PhD from the Faculté d’Oenologie of Bordeaux, France, where he completed a research program on the key flavor components of Armagnac and Cognac brandies. Dr. Herve joined ETS in 1997 to conduct a cork research program. First, Eric developed an automated method to reliably measure trace amounts of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), down to one part-per-trillion. By studying how natural corks transfer TCA to wine, he defined the concept of cork’s “Releasable TCA”. The measurement of “Releasable TCA” has now become the tool of choice in the fight against Cork Taint worldwide. Always fascinated by the complexity and mysteries of wine aromas, Eric opted to stay at ETS after the completion of the cork project to develop new analyses, conduct applied research programs, and investigate wine flavor and taint issues. Eric is a TTB certified chemist for analysis of wines, distilled spirits and beer. Eric developed the ETS Oak Aroma panel, with its signature radar plot, allowing a quick visual assessment of a wine’s aroma profile. He reported for the first time the presence of eucalyptol in wines with “minty” and “eucalyptus-like” odors, showing that these aromas often originate from eucalyptus trees growing near vineyards. In recent years, as TCA outbreaks occurred in wineries, Eric conducted investigations to determine the extent and identify the sources of contamination. In addition, he has developed new analytical tools to deal with emerging threats, such as TBA and “Smoke Taint.”
ABOUT THE HOSTS
For 45 years, Markham Vineyards has been a leader in crafting world-class Bordeaux varietals in Napa Valley, with Merlot taking center stage. With 260 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards and land, each of our wines are reflective of the distinctive AVAs across the Napa Valley. Deliciously diverse fruits from those micro-sites provide a rich palette for Winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls to craft acclaimed wines, vintage after vintage.
Winemaker Kimberlee Nicholls is a chemist full of energy and life with a long history in Napa and a deep love of Merlot. As one of the first female winemakers in the Napa Valley, her talent is highly respected. With over 30 years of winemaking experience — and 20 vintages as the winemaker — she continues to expand Markham’s portfolio and maintain a long tradition of making benchmark Bordeaux varietals. She is an integral part of Markham’s story and has greatly contributed to their countless accolades and enduring place as one of Napa Valley’s great wineries.
