Annoyed by pesky vineyard bugs? Nursing ‘sick’ wines in the cellar? This year, MGGA’s annual Spring Symposium will focus on pests in the vineyard and winery, with a focus on the recently arrived Multicolored Asian Lady Beetles (MALB). Keynote speakers include Drs. Robert Koch and William Hutchison from the UM Dept. of Entomology, who will present their on-going work on the MALB in Midwestern grapes, and Dr. Gary Pickering of Brock University, Ontario, who will address the problem of MALB taint in wine. In addition, Peter Hemstad will discuss major diseases of Minnesota grapes, Anna Katharine Mansfield will cover microbiological problems in the winery, and Tom Plocher will report on his recent trip to Harbin, China. The Symposium will be held on March 13, 2004 at the Embassy Suites-Minneapolis Airport Hotel, 7901 34th Ave S., Bloomington. (Just south of 494.) The anticipated cost including lunch and various wines is $45 with advance reservation and $55 at the door (if space is still available). Reservations can be made by calling (952) 443-1501 or via email at mansf007@umn.edu. Actual payment can be made the day of the symposium. Pre-registration will close at 5 pm on Wednesday, March 10.
