Big North American wine trade show to go virtual in January

The Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, the largest wine sector trade show in North America, will go virtual next year as a result of lingering concern over the coronavirus.

Held in Sacramento, the event attracts 15,000 attendees every January over its three-day conference and trade show and offers the best expert panel preview of the forthcoming year on the multibillion-dollar sector.

The sponsors of the event, the California Association of Winegrape Growers and American Society for Enology and Viticulture, said in a statement there was “significant uncertainty whether public health officials would permit the Unified to occur as an in-person event, which meant unacceptable financial risks for exhibitors, sponsors, attendees and show management.”

The virtual event will be held Jan. 26 to 29.

Another major local wine conference and trade show, however, has not made a decision on whether to cancel. The 2020 Wine Industry Expo is still slated for Dec. 3 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

Bouchaine Vineyards hires sales manager

Bouchaine Vineyards of Napa has hired Scott Stowe as its national sales manager.

Stowe has almost 30 years of experience in the wine and spirits industry and most recently was the western regional director of sales for Pacific Highway Wines.

He also has worked for Luna Vineyards; Truett-Hurst Inc. of Healdsburg, the Mendocino Wine Co.; St. Supery Vineyards and Winery; and was New York/New Jersey regional sales manager for Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates.

Compiled by Bill Swindell. Submit items to bill.swindell@pressdemocrat.com.