International Cool Climate Wine Symposium postponed to July 2021

CCOVI oenologist Belinda Kemp, right, organizer of the Great Chardo Swap, tastes the 2018 Chardonnays alongside Emma Garner of Thirty Bench, Fabian Reis of Ferox, and Bruce Nicholson of Inniskillin.

By Sarah Ackles

Although the International Cool Climate Wine Symposium (ICCWS) didn’t take place in St. Catharines this summer as planned, organizers are looking ahead to what promises to be a stimulating and dynamic event in 2021.

ICCWS 2021 will take place in Canada for the first time from July 25 to 29, 2021. Organized by the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) and its national industry partners, the ICCWS will bring researchers, winemakers, grape growers, educators, and media to Brock University for a rigorous program of academic sessions, tastings, and pre-and-post conference programming.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause global uncertainty and risk to public health, organizers made the decision to postpone the symposium until 2021. With public gathering sizes and international travel strictly limited, Debbie Inglis, director of CCOVI and ICCWS chair,

says postponing was the best option to ensure a safe and successful event for all attendees, partners, sponsors, and organizers.

“We are disappointed that we won’t be celebrating innovations and advances in cool climate grape, wine, and business research in Ontario this year, but we look forward to showcasing our industry to the world in July 2021,” she says. “We have a fantastic academic program and opportunities to network and discover Canada’s wine regions lined up for next summer and eagerly anticipate bringing the international grape and wine community together at that time.”

Ensuring the vitality of cool climate winemaking and grape growing in the face of changing climatic conditions will remain the focus of the symposium in 2021.

Acclaimed international cool climate wine academics and experts from around the world will lead engaging keynote speeches, poster presentations, and workshops that will cover topics from across the entire grape and wine value chain. Climate change adaptation will serve as the underlying theme, with daily sessions in innovation and adaptations in viticulture, oenological challenges and solutions, the business of winery sustainability, and science communication.

A tradeshow will run on site for the duration of the ICCWS, where exhibitors from the research community and grape and wine industry can come together with buyers and sellers to connect with potential business partners.

Tastings will allow delegates to sample regional and national Canadian wines, including an assortment of one-of-a-kind Chardonnays developed exclusively for the symposium. The Great Chardo Swap will compare 2017 and 2018 Chardonnay wines made from two specific vineyards. The winemakers will discuss the challenges and techniques they utilized for the unique endeavour, culminating in a grand tasting of the final wine.

After a year of unprecedented challenges and with more uncertainty still ahead, Inglis welcomes the opportunity to bring the cool climate wine industry’s best and brightest together in Canada. The symposium will serve both as a way to discuss the recent obstacles

faced by the industry, and to come together in support of one another while transitioning to post-pandemic recovery.

“Global events have further highlighted the resiliency and adaptability of our industry and we know that the ICCWS 2021 will provide a platform to learn from our international friends and colleagues as we move forward together,” says Inglis.

Registration is open and there are numerous tradeshow and sponsorship opportunities available. For more information and updates as they become available, please visit the ICCWS website at iccws2021.ca. o

Join us July 25 to 29, 2021

Leading researchers, educators, winemakers and grape growers from around the world will gather at Brock University to discuss the opportunities and challenges of cool climate grape and wine production.