Invasive species, consumer behaviour and wine’s connection to health will be among the topics explored as Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) Lecture Series returns for 2024.

Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 17, the public lecture series, held both in person and online, provides individuals on campus and around the world with the opportunity to harness the University’s industry-leading grape and wine research.

Antonia Mantonakis will open the 2024 series with her research into consumer psychology and behavioural motivators. The Brock Professor of Marketing and Consumer Psychology will explore the role of signatures on wine bottles, and how bottles with a signature can drive or hamper sales and impact perceived value. Beneficial to inquisitive consumers, savvy marketers and manufacturers alike, Mantonakis’ work has been featured on television and across the globe.

The CCOVI lectures span a wide range of topics, including exploring cover crops, the invasive lanternfly, how the LCBO navigates changing consumer demands, understanding cold hardiness in Ontario after a decade of monitoring, laboratory trials of entomopathogens as a biocontrol treatment, wine and health, and the importance of clean grapevines for Canadian markets.

“For our 17th instalment of the lecture series, we are pleased to have 12 researchers, scientists, fellows and professional affiliates sharing their expertise with those attending in person and online from around the world,” said CCOVI Director Debbie Inglis. “Knowledge transfer through outreach opportunities is an important part of CCOVI’s mandate. We strive to share this knowledge and empower individuals to help advance the grape and wine industry.”

The free lectures take place weekly on Wednesdays at 2 p.m. beginning Jan. 17 in room H313 of the Mackenzie Chown Complex at Brock University. Paid parking is available in the nearby Lot E.

The lectures can also be viewed live online, with the recordings archived on the CCOVI Lecture Series website.

2024 CCOVI Lecture Series

• Jan. 17: Antonia Mantonakis, Professor of Marketing, Goodman School of Business, Brock University — The Psychology Behind How You and Your Consumer Choose.
• Jan. 24: Gary Pickering, Professor of Biological Sciences and Psychology, Brock University — Targeting Red, White or Green? Consumer Perceptions and Engagement with Sustainable Wines in Canada.
• Jan. 31: Liette Vasseur, Professor of Biological Sciences, UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability, Brock University — Cover Crops: Commercial, Native or Exotic, or Not At All? This Remains a Question.
• Feb. 7: Wendy McFadden-Smith, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs — Spot the Lanternfly.
• Feb. 14: Kevin Ker, CCOVI Research Associate, Brock University — The Nova Scotia Grape and Wine Industry: After the Polar Vortex February 2023.
• Feb. 28: Ron Jackson, CCOVI Researcher — Wine and Health: A Reasoned View.
• March 6: George van der Merwe, Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph — Characterizing and Developing Yeasts for the Fermentation Industry.
• March 13: Sudarsana Poojari, CCOVI Principal Scientist, Grapevine Virology — The Importance of Clean Plant Program for Grapevines.
• March 20: George Soleas, President and Chief Executive Officer of the LCBO — Uncorking Success: The Business of Wine in Ontario.
• March 27: Malkie Spodek, CCOVI Scientist in Entomology, Brock University — Laboratory Trials of Entomopathogens as a Biocontrol Treatment for Grape Mealybug.
• April 3: Jennifer Kelly, CCOVI Scientist in Oenology, Brock University — 100% Ontario: Consumer Liking, Interest, and Willingness to Pay for Vidal and Marquette Table Wines.
• April 10: Jim Willwerth, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences, Brock University CCOVI Researcher — Understanding Vitis Vinifera Cold Hardiness in Ontario After a Decade.