SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Next January, Sacramento, Calif., will become the center of the wine and grape world as thousands of industry professionals gather for the 2010 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, one of the largest events of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.

The 2010 Unified Wine & Grape Symposium, which takes place at the Sacramento Convention Center Jan. 26 – 29, features a mixture of informational sessions and a trade show that highlights the latest innovations in equipment and services available to the industry.

On Tuesday through Thursday, the Unified Symposium opens with a general session that explores current hot issues facing the wine and grape industry. These sessions are packed with information important to everyone involved in the industry. This year’s general sessions are: on Tuesday, The Metrics of Business Sustainability; Wednesday, The State of the Industry; and on Thursday, Looking Forward: How Consumers Find Information and Inspiration for Their Wine Purchases.

Each afternoon the Unified Symposium hosts smaller breakout sessions that target specific topics in the areas of: Grapegrowing; Winemaking; Business, Economics & Operations; and Marketing & Public Relations.

On Friday a single topic day-long symposium entitled: High Elevation/High Latitude Symposium: Wine Growing On the Edge will be held. The symposium will look at the special challenges that face winemakers and grape growers who work at higher elevations and latitudes. Speakers from several countries will give presentations, including; Vittorino Novello, Professor of Viticulture, University of Torino, Piemonte, Italy, and Pat Bowen, Pacific Agri-Food Research Center, Okanagan, Canada.

The event also hosts the industry’s largest trade show of its kind, with over 500 vendors from around the world displaying their products and services.

Jointly organized by the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) and the California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG), the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium represents the collective experience, knowledge and background of the entire industry. For additional information, a complete program listing with speakers or to register online, visit the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium’s Web site at www.unifiedsymposium.org. Register online by January 18^th and save up to $200 on registration.