The Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) Lecture Series returns to the virtual stage next week, celebrating its 15th year and reflecting on the Brock Institute’s 25th anniversary.

It will begin on Monday, Jan. 31, and­­­ feature 10 lectures by grape and wine experts from across CCOVI’s network of researchers, scientists, fellows and professional affiliates. This series will cover a wide array of topics, including an update on CCOVI’s TanninAlert program; how wine brands can leverage social media to tell engaging stories; grapevine disease management strategies; the potential use of mushroom-derived materials in the winery; and in-depth analyses of Niagara’s grape and wine industry, past and present.

Merchandising and marketing experts from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) will also give a special lecture on Monday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m. The presentation will explore trends and insights as well as updates on various LCBO initiatives.

CCOVI Director Debbie Inglis said the 2022 CCOVI Lecture Series will provide a platform to reflect on the Institute’s accomplishments over the past two-and-a-half decades as well as the exciting opportunities still ahead for the grape and wine industry.

“While we wish we could bring our industry together in person for our annual series this year, we are pleased to be able to present another engaging and informative program in a virtual format,” said Inglis, who will give a lecture on Feb. 14. “Despite the continued challenges of the pandemic, our team has been hard at work addressing pressing grape and wine priorities and we look forward to sharing our insights with our industry and community.”

Since launching in 2007, the CCOVI Lecture Series has attracted thousands of guests to attend the lectures at Brock University. More than 11,000 people have also viewed the archived lecture videos online.

The free lectures, which are open to the public, begin Monday, Jan. 31 with a presentation by Brock’s Donald Cyr, Professor of Finance at the Goodman School of Business.

The lectures will take place remotely via livestream every Monday morning at 11:30 a.m. until April 4, with one exception noted in the schedule below.

The lectures can be viewed here live each week, and are then archived on the CCOVI Lecture Series website.

2022 CCOVI Lecture Series schedule:

Monday, Jan. 31: Donald Cyr, Professor of Finance, Goodman School of Business, Brock University — Potential use of Weather Derivatives in Hedging Aggregate Viticulture Yields: A Case Study of the Niagara Region of Canada

Monday, Feb. 7: Michael Ripmeester, Chair and Professor of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, Brock University; and Russell Johnston, Associate Professor, Communications, Popular Culture and Film, Brock University — Grapes, Wine and Public Memory

Monday, Feb. 14: Debbie Inglis, CCOVI Director, Brock University — TanninAlert: the launch of a new program for Ontario red winemakers to assess skin and seed tannin at harvest to assist in winemaking decisions

Monday, Feb. 28: Sudarsana Poojari, CCOVI Senior Virologist, Brock University — Emerging virus diseases of grapevine: Advances in diagnosis and management

Monday, March 7: Joachim Scholz, Assistant Professor, Goodman School of Business, Brock University; and Jacob Anthony Gigliotti, Oenology and Viticulture student, Brock University — Brand Storytelling on Instagram: How Wine Brands Create Epic Stories One Image at a Time

Monday, March 14: Liette Vasseur, UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability: from Local to Global, Brock University — Exploring different cover crops to adapt to climate changes

Monday, March 21: Vanda Provato, Chief Marketing & Digital Officer, LCBO; and Abhay Garg, Vice President of Merchandising, LCBO — TBD

*Special day
Friday, March 25: José Ramòn Urbez Torres, Research Scientist, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Summerland Research and Development Centre — TBD 

Monday, March 28: Belinda Kemp, CCOVI Senior Oenologist, Brock University — Magic of mushrooms: the potential use of mushroom-derived materials in the winery