The Pacific Northwest wine and grape region will be center stage on June 17-20, as the American Society for Enology and Viticulture hosts its 59th Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon. Key highlights for this year’s conference are the themed Supplier Showcase seminars, regional winery tours, and a taste of the Pacific Northwest, in addition to attending research-based seminars including world-renowned experts in enology and viticulture.

Taking place at the Oregon Convention Center, the Annual Meeting is being built with the support and input of Oregon’s respected wine industry to develop collaborative discussions and research reports, and offers great opportunity to enjoy the local food and wine.

An added attraction for the opening day of the Annual Meeting on June 17 is the 5th Joint Burgundy-California-Oregon Winemaking Symposium. Organizer Christian Butzke of Purdue University has invited speakers from France, Oregon and California for a multi-regional discussion between winemakers and enologists/viticulturists on issues affecting the industry today. The symposium will be preceded by winery tours the prior day.

The Annual Meeting week will also include the Sensory Science Symposium: From Vineyard to Consumer Preference on June 20. How we taste wine is based on the interaction between wine constituents and human receptors through brain processing. This symposium will look into sensory science as the most relevant tool to bridge the gap between wine constituents and human perception.

These are just a few highlights of the 2008 meeting, which will also offer added opportunities to connect professionally with your colleagues from around the world in one of America’s most environmentally conscious cities and award-winning wine regions. Plan to meet with your colleagues in one of the “greenest big cities” in the nation.