Triggs International Premium Vinifera Lecture Series

The Triggs International Premium Vinifera Lecture Series takes place every two years.

Brock University launched the Triggs International Premium Vinifera Lecture Series in 2004 to attract and showcase world leaders in the cultivation of premium vinifera grapes. This was made possible thanks to a generous donation by Don and Elaine Triggs to the University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute.

In 2011 the lecture series spread its outreach to include the grape and wine regions of both Ontario and British Columbia. The expanded lecture series has helped create an invaluable networking opportunity for the grape and wine industry across Canada. To help ensure that the event could be held in both provinces, BASF Canada, a company that provides crop protection products to the grape industry, stepped in to sponsor costs associate with making it a national event.

The series provides those interested or directly involved in the business of grape growing, viticulture and winemaking, as well as students and faculty, with access to the most current developments in viticulture.

2024 Ontario Public Lecture

Past Events

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Markus Keller (Ph.D), Professor of Viticulture, Washington State University, Research and Extension Centre (see bio below)

ONTARIO TOPIC:
Adapting vineyards to a changing climate

Watch the Ontario public lecture (click here)
View the presentation slides (click here)

BRITISH COLUMBIA TOPIC:
Vineyard recovery after a severe weather event

View the presentation slides (click here)

AGENDA:
View the Ontario vineyard site schedule
View the British Columbia vineyard site schedule

READ ABOUT IT IN THE BROCK NEWS:
The Brock News: Triggs Lecture Series growing vineyard resiliency across Canada
Seen & Heard: Lecture series digs into vineyard resiliency


SHORT BIO
:
Markus Keller is the Chateau Ste. Michelle Distinguished Professor of Viticulture at Washington State University’s Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center in the Pacific Northwest. He received his MS in plant science and PhD in natural science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zürich, and has conducted viticulture research and taught in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. His research focuses on how environmental factors and management practices influence crop physiology and production of wine and juice grapes. He is the author of the textbook “The Science of Grapevines” and currently serves as the science editor for the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture.

To be placed on an eblast list for future information (for either Ontario or British Columbia) please email ccovi@brocku.ca

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Vaughn Bell (Ph.D), Senior Scientist, New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research.

Read his bio here.

TOPIC:
A pathway towards leafroll virus management: The New Zealand experience

Watch the Ontario public lecture

View the Ontario presentation slides
View the British Columbia presentation slides

AGENDA:

View the Ontario vineyard site schedule
View the British Columbia vineyard site schedule

Read more about it in The Brock News

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Stefano Poni (PhD), Professor of Viticulture and Chair of the Instituto of Frutti-Viticoltura of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Piacenza, Italy.

Read his bio here.

TOPIC:
Canopy management—Making it work
Canopy management takes many forms with different outcomes from different practices. Stefano Poni will address the impacts of different practices on managing overall crop development, methods to delay or enhance fruit maturity and timings that will influence final crop quality. Best timing + best practices = Quality and vine health!

Watch the Ontario public lecture.

AGENDA:
View the Ontario vineyard site schedule
.
View the British Columbia vineyard site schedule.

READ ABOUT IT IN THE BROCK NEWS:

In 2017, Triggs Lecture Series hits a milestone and goes global
Vineyard tours a big draw for Triggs Lecture Series
Record turnout as national lecture series turns 10

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Glenn McGourty

Read his bio here.

TOPIC:
Cover crops for premium winegrape production: Finding the right mix. 
Cover crop management is a critical component of a premium vineyard system. This influences crop development, vine health and fruit quality for long term productivity, survival, soil structure, nutrient uptake etc.

The 2015 vineyard tour will focus on cover crop strategies including selection (diversity and impact), drought tolerance, durability and machinery compatibility, nutrition and floor management for pest control.

Watch the Ontario public lecture.

AGENDA:
View the Ontario vineyard site schedule.
View the British Columbia vineyard site schedule.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Kobus Hunter

Read his bio here.

TOPIC:
Ways to manage quality under erratic environmental conditions.

“The grapevine is an extremely forgiving entity, but with great potential for product excellence – achieving the latter requires understanding and skill from both viticulturists and winemakers,” says Hunter.

Watch the Ontario public lecture.

AGENDA:
View the Ontario vineyard site schedule.
View the British Columbia vineyard site schedule.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Glen Creasy, from Lincoln University in New Zealand.
Read his biography here

TOPIC:
Vine Balance:  Ways to accelerate fruit maturity.

CCOVI announced in the spring of 2011 that it would b be expanding its program to include both Ontario and British Columbia grape growing regions.

“The enhanced lecture series as part of CCOVI’s outreach community programs will create an invaluable networking opportunity for the grape and wine industry across Canada,” said CCOVI Director Debbie Inglis. “New linkages between the Ontario and British Columbia grape growing regions will be established and existing ones strengthened.”

Read the media release here.

AGENDA:
View the Ontario vineyard site schedule.
View the British Columbia vineyard site schedule.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Mark Greenspan
Read his bio here.

TOPIC:

Vineyard Nutrient & Water Management: When Less can be More

AGENDA:
View the Ontario Schedule.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Daniel Roberts
Read his bio here

TOPIC:
Rootstock, ripping and water: Using soil water to reduce vineyard variability

AGENDA:
View the Ontario schedule.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Alain Sutre
Viticultural & Winemaking Consultant, Bordeaux, France

TOPIC:
Optimizing Vineyard Performance: The Road to the Future

AGENDA:
View the Ontario schedule.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Diane Davidson
Read her bio here.

TOPIC:
Cool Climate Winegrape Production -What Price Quality? 

AGENDA:
View the Ontario Schedule.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
David Jordan
Read his bio here.

TOPIC:
Could Niagara be the next New Zealand? Premium Wine Growing in a Cool Climate

AGENDA:
View the Ontario Schedule.

FEATURED SPEAKER:
Pascal Marchand
Regisseur du Domaine / Estate Manager, Domaine de la Vougeraie, France

TOPIC:
Understanding Pinot Noir via Terroir

AGENDA:
View the Ontario Schedule.