#ibwssworkshop

With the California grape crush varying as much as 671,000 tons from year to year, and average price for wine grapes jumping as much as 25% in the state, wineries and private-label producers looking to keep production steady often consult the bulk wine market to fill gaps.

This summer the International Bulk Wine & Spirits show is coming to San Francisco, and the event includes two days of conferences and workshops where winery personnel can hear from importers, distributors, suppliers and retailers about how to find bulk wine, negotiate pricing, create blends and protect your company against quality and delivery woes.

Wine Institute CEO Bobby Koch will give the welcome address, followed by Brandy Rand, who will offer an overview of wine and spirits trends from her post as vice president of U.S. marketing and business development at International Wine & Spirits Research.

After an update on wine trends, Turrentine Brokerage president Steve Fredricks will inform attendees about the latest costs for wine and grapes from various sources, including information about which varieties are widely available and which are in limited supply. Nat DiBuduo, who represents grapegrowers as president of Allied Grape Growers, is scheduled for a talk entitled “How Current Grape Supply and Demand Affects You.”