Wineries Unlimited 2011
By35th Winery Rendezvous Meets All Expectations
The largest winery conference east of the Mississippi was held March 29 to April 1, 2011 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.
The annual confab was attended by over 1,600 winery personnel and hundreds of vendors. With the USA’s new title of “world’s largest wine consuming nation,” wine making and its marketing have become big business in the eastern United States.
On March 30, I accompanied the owner and management staff of Rappahannock Cellars as we headed south to The River City. At the convention center, our team fanned out and took in all aspects of the event in blitzkrieg fashion. Based on the show’s hyperactivity, new services and equipment will soon be gracing wineries throughout the mid-Atlantic region.
During my stroll of the exhibit area, I was fortunate to briefly chat with legendary winemaker Randall Grahm, owner and winemaker at Bonny Doon Vineyard in Santa Cruz, California.
On this road show, I left my reporter’s pen and pad at home and grab my video camera. If you’ve never attended this mega trade show, spend a few minutes seeing what transpires on the convention floor and in the seminars. The array of products is impressive.
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