Microbial resistance is changing how we manage disease, quality, and safety in grape production. This session focuses on practical strategies and the latest research on identifying resistant pathogens, managing vineyard diseases, and improving spray application techniques.

Unexpected events in the spring, including herbicide drift and spring frost, can cause significant injury and yield loss in the vineyard. This presentation will cover methods for protecting vines, reducing impacts related to abiotic spring stressors, and ways to prepare and react to the unexpected.

In this session we will discuss cider production, the multiple methods in which cider is produced, and production needs and difficulties. We will also dive into cider trends, marketing, demographics, and packaging.

AI is changing the game, but you don’t need a tech degree to win. In this practical, jargon-free session, we’ll cut through the hype and show you exactly how to make AI work for your winery. You’ll learn how to "teach" search engines to recommend your tasting room to visitors and how to use tools like ChatGPT to handle your marketing chores—like writing social posts and blogs—in minutes instead of hours. Walk away with a clear checklist and ready-to-use ideas to help you get more done with less stress.

Learn how the Iowa Tourism Office promotes Iowa winery experiences through digital campaigns, Travel Guide content, event amplification, and the Iowa Wine Passport program. This session will share how wineries can better leverage these statewide marketing efforts and tap into key travel trends like sustainability, wellness, and experiential tourism to attract more visitors.

Every guest interaction is an opportunity. This session introduces three essential behaviors that drive results: confidently asking for the sale, inviting guests to join your wine club, and capturing contact information so you can stay connected after they leave. Participants will learn:

Midwest winters can be harsh, even brutal and certainly damaging to grapevines. With ambient temperatures that can plummet to the -10 to -25 (degrees F) range for anywhere from one night to a week; volatile temperatures which result in 60 degree F temperatures in January and February, and late frosts (even late into May), extensive damage to early budding grapevines can and will occur. It has been well documented that the application of a vegetable based surfactant (Amigo Oil)to dormant grapevines, will in fact delay bud break anywhere from several days to almost three weeks depending upon the winter and the specific cultivar (Dami; McFarland & McFarland, 2007-2012). This amount of delay can mean the difference between a bountiful harvest and catastrophic loss due to early spring warm-up and late spring freezing episodes.

In this session, weather permitting, we will explore the host site at Oscar Carl Vineyard. We will evaluate vine balance, examine different pruning responses, and discuss insights gained from our 2025 tissue sampling.

Join this interactive session and explore lower-alcohol wines made from cold-hardy grapes to learn how different approaches influence balance, flavor, and structure. Sample wines, ask questions, and discuss practical, permitted techniques for adjusting alcohol levels cost-effectively, without fully removing alcohol. Walk away with practical tips you can apply in your own winery.

Sulfur dioxide is widely used throughout the winemaking process to protect wines from oxidation and microbial spoilage. However, at high concentrations, it can cause adverse reactions in some consumers. We developed a research project to evaluate the effects of alternative products, such as enological tannins and chitosan, on wine quality throughout the winemaking process. This session will focus on sulfur dioxide management and will present data on the use of these alternative products in ‘La Crescent’ and ‘Frontenac’ wines. The session will include a wine tasting.

Revenue growth does not happen by accident. It requires focus.

A strong wine club provides stability, predictable revenue, and deeper customer loyalty. In this final session, we connect hospitality to long-term growth by focusing on wine club best practices. From how you introduce the club in the tasting room to how you reduce cancellations, we will cover realistic strategies tailored to smaller winery operations.