Learn about organic winegrowing
Napa Valley Grapegrowers will host the third Organic Winegrowing Conference on July 17 and 18 at Frog's Leap Winery in Rutherford. It will include panel discussions with grapegrowers and winemakers, presentations on organic farming costs, pest concerns and the market for organic products; equipment demonstrations, a trade show and a reception with wine tasting. For details, visit napagrowers.org.

Marketing appointments at Gloria Ferrer
Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards, Sonoma, named Cindy Friedman consumer marketing manager and Toni Benton tasting room manager. The two are charged with expanding the winery's hospitality, wine education and consumer direct-marketing programs.

Bargetto celebrates 75 years
Bargetto Winery, established in 1933 in the Santa Cruz Mountains, celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, with the June 1 release of 2003 La Vita, a blend of Dolcetto, Nebbiolo and Refosco. The family-owned winery has produced La Vita for seven years, and each year it donates part of the proceeds to Santa Cruz County nonprofit groups. For details, visit bargetto.com.

Sponsors sought for Madera competition
The fourth annual Central California Warm Weather Wine Competition, to be held Aug. 1 in Madera, is soliciting industry sponsorships ranging from $500 to $5,000 levels. Some 450 California wineries have been invited to compete. For details, visit idrinkwine.net.

Foley Group buys Venge winery
The Central Coast's Foley Wine Group purchased the Venge Vineyards winery in St. Helena and will use the facility to produce wines from Napa Cabernet specialist Merus, which Foley bought last year. Foley also will produce its Altus brand at the facility, which has a capacity of about 8,000 cases. For more, search keyword: Foley at winesandvines.com.

Wells joins marketing firm
Faith Wells, former public relations manager at Icon Estates, Napa Valley, was hired as an account manager at Upstairs Marketing Group (UMG) in Paso Robles. UMG specializes in marketing and communications services for the wine industry; clients include Baileyana, Jada, Sierra Madre, Lockwood and the annual Hospice du Rhône.

Michel-Schlumberger pairs with Cannon
Michel-Schlumberger Wine Estate, Healdsburg, is teaming with Cannon Wines Limited to represent its wines around the globe. Newly appointed winery president Judd Wallenbrock hopes to increase Michel-Schlumberger's distribution from 18 to 50 states.

C.G. DiArie opens tasting room
C.G. DiArie has opened a tasting salon at 19919 Shenandoah School Road in Amador County's Plymouth; it includes picnic grounds, a waterfall and a koi pond. Visit cgdiarie.com for details.

Grower foundation awards scholarships
The California Wine Grape Growers Foundation awarded college scholarships to seven students, including six children of California vineyard employees. Ty Sabaska, Salinas, received the Robert N. Miller scholarship, given yearly to Central Coast students of viticulture/enology at Alan Hancock Community College or Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Antonio Aguado Zuniga, Cloverdale; Jesus Cashu, Calistoga; and Liliana Cardenas, Guadalupe, each received four-year, $4,000 annual scholarships. Yesenia Alduenda, Walnut Grove; Daisy Medina, Kelseyville; and Maribel Zavala, Soledad, each received two-year, $1,000 annual scholarships. The awards represent the most scholarship funding since the foundation was started in 1999.

Ventura wineries release map
Seven wineries in Southern California's Ventura County have joined forces to produce the first Ventura County Wine Trail Map. The map can be ordered from Monica Agyekum at (805) 983-1560; an online version is in the works and will be available at venturacountywinetrail.com.

Cinnabar names new president
Cinnabar Vineyards & Winery, Saratoga, promoted Suzanne Frontz to president. Frontz previously served as general manager, a role she will continue to fill.

Publisher Richard Cartiere dies
Wine journalist Richard Cartiere died June 2 following surgery for brain cancer. Cartiere, who was 51, was publisher of the "Wine Market Report" newsletter focused on wine business in the North Coast. A graduate of California State University, Sacramento, he had worked as a reporter for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat and the Associated Press; he was co-founder of Wine Business Monthly.

Kremer named Olsen Family winemaker
Olsen Family Vineyards, Monmouth, Ore., appointed Bill Kremer its winemaker. Previously, Kremer was with King Estate Winery in Eugene, Ore. Olsen Family produces Viridian Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

Wine, food and music in Woodinville
The first Wine Notes Concerts, July 16-17 at King County's Marymoor Park in Woodinville, Wash., will feature wines from 23 local wineries and funk, soul, swing and jazz performers. For details, visit woodinvillewinecountry.com.

Rynders launches consultancy
Former Domaine Serene winemaker Tony Rynders is available to consult with quality-driven wine producers. He's also planning to make Pinot Noir from top Willamette Valley vineyards, securing a winemaking facility for client wines, and planting a vineyard on his family's 20-
acre property in Oregon's Yamhill Carlton AVA. A partner with Norm McKibben and Jean Francois Pellet at Octave Vineyard in the Walla Walla AVA, he plans to source Cabernet Sauvignon there as well. Contact him through tonyrynders.com.

Pacific Rim has new sales VP
Riesling producer Pacific Rim, Portland, Ore., appointed Steve Doyle its national vice president of sales. Previously, Doyle was senior vice present of sales and national sales manager for Pacific Wine Partners, a division of Constellation.

Nashville wine auction to fight cancer
The 29th annual l'Eté du Vin wine auction in Nashville, Tenn., will start with the Grand Vintner's Tasting on July 10, and end with the Grand Auction on July 12. Since its inception, the event has raised monetary donations exceeding $15 million to combat cancer. For details, visit nashvillewineauction.com.

Texas GrapeFest is September 11-14
The 22nd annual GrapeFest in the historic Main Street district of Grapevine, Texas, is said to be the largest wine festival in the Southwest. Activities will include grape stomping, grape crushing and wine tasting. Live and silent auctions, a black-tie Texas Wine Tribute gala and a tennis tournament are also scheduled. For details, visit grapevinetexasusa.com.

Tennessee distributor expands
Horizon Wine & Spirits, Nashville, Tenn., will move to its new 141,000-square-foot headquarters at 3851 Industrial Parkway in August, according to president/CEO Tommy Bernard, whose father Jobe founded the company in 1947. Horizon serves 150 retailers and 1,500 on-premise locations, and carries wines from more than 20 countries.

Maine plans food and wine festival
The Convention & Visitors Bureau of Greater Portland will produce its first Harvest on the Harbor, "a Maine Culinary Experience," Oct. 23-25. The food and wine festival will take place in venues throughout downtown Portland, featuring wine tastings and dinners along with cooking classes, celebrity chefs and a marketplace. For details, visit harvestontheharbor.com.

Oakencroft founder retires
Felicia W. Rogan, owner and founder of Oakencroft Vineyard and Winery, Albermarle County, Va., announced she is retiring after 25 years, and selling her 250-acre farm including its 15 acres of vineyards. Rogan was a pioneer of the Virginia industry, which had just five wineries when she started. Now, more than 100 wineries are producing there.

New Jersey winery celebrates 75 years
Tomasello Winery, Hammonton, N.J., marked its 75th anniversary with the launch of a new website. Founded by the grandfather of current winemakers Charlie and Jack Tomasello, it's the state's only third-generation winery and its largest producer, farming more than 65 acres of vines and producing almost 40 wines. Learn more at tomasellowinery.com.

Cornell researcher honored
The New York Wine and Grape Foundation Research Award for major contributions in research and education was presented to Cornell researcher Dr. Terry Bates, honoring pioneering research in crop load management enabling New York grape producers to maximize yields, as well as his collaborative research on vineyard nutrition.

Zork fights fear factor with YouTube
Zork USA, Napa, Calif. producer of the alternative wine closure, is using a 30-second YouTube video to persuade winemakers that consumers like the Zork. The unscripted segment shows natural reactions of people exposed to Zork for the first time To view it, go to youtube.com and search keywords: zork wine closure.

Saint-Gobain wins for Tin Roof package
Saint-Gobain Containers, Muncie, Ind., received the wine category Clear Choice Award from the Glass Packaging Institute. The award recognized the glass bottles manufactured for the North Coast's Tin Roof Cellars 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2006 Chardonnay.

Ex-Foster's exec joins Supreme Corq
David Reed was appointed vice president of business development at synthetic closure manufacturer Supreme Corq, Kent, Wash. Previously he was in product development, materials management and corporate procurement at Foster's Wine Estates Americas.

Inertia chooses president
Ted Jansen, former senior vice president at Expedia.com, was named chief executive officer and president of Inertia Beverage Group, Napa, Calif. He succeeds Inertia founder Paul Mabray, who remains the company's chief strategy officer.

Oenodev names GM for United States
Cyril Derreaumaux was appointed vice president/general manager for Oenodev USA Inc., Santa Rosa, Calif. Oenodev supplies micro-oxygenation products, French oak chips and computer-controlled digital grape and wine equipment. For details, visit oenodev.com.

Argentine producer picks Oeneo Closures
Altos Las Hormigas, the Mendoza, Argentina, winery founded by Antonio Morescalchi and Tuscan winemaker Alberto Antonini, bottled its 2007 Malbec under the DIAM closure produced by Oeneo Closures USA, Napa, Calif. DIAM is a natural cork closure processed with CO₂ to eliminate TCA. For technical information, visit oeneoclosuresusa.com.

Hillebrand gives supply chain award
JF Hillebrand, logistics provider for wine and spirits importers to the UK, named "the company of wine people" as its Supply Chain Partner of the Year, honoring the importer's reliability resulting in 100% on-time shipment during the second half of 2007.

Golden State Box adds French partner
Golden State Box Factory, San Diego, Calif., builder of wooden boxes for the wine and food industry, sold an equity stake in its business to Wildcat Packaging USA, a subsidiary of Wildcat Packaging, France. For more information, visit goldenstateboxfactory.com.