7/24/2013 - St. Helena, CA -- The Napa Valley Vintners (NVV) trade association, in partnership with Wines & Vines, is hosting a seminar on August 14 to help winemakers and wine marketers understand the potential for wine counterfeiting in export markets, and to learn about available technology to protect against this threat. The seminar is open to NVV members and non-members.
According to an article on intellectual property challenges in China in the August issue of Wines & Vines, counterfeit California wines in this growing market are less common than fake French wines. However, as regions like Napa Valley continue to actively promote premium wines in Asia, the risk increases. Although Napa Valley was the first wine region in the world to achieve Geographic Indication status from the Chinese government last fall, the designation does not provide counterfeit protection for individual wine brands.
"The NVV takes the topic of name and brand protection seriously," said Emma Swain, CEO of St. Supéry Estate Vineyards & Winery and a member of the NVV Board of Directors. "This anti-counterfeit seminar is a natural extension of work our organization been doing for many years to protect the Napa Valley name, and it dovetails nicely on a member education program we hosted in April on the topic of trademark protection in China. It is important for the NVV as an industry leader to ensure our members are working to actively protect their individual brands."
NVV member Mike Lamborn, owner of Lamborn Family Wine Company, plans to attend the seminar and hopes it will help him become familiar with available options to prevent counterfeit of his small brand. "As a small producer, can we afford to take advantage of the technologies to prevent counterfeiting of our wine? Can we not afford it? We think it is important to be aware of what's available in this area," commented Lamborn, who is currently exporting to several Asian markets.
The seminar includes a panel discussion with experts on intellectual property rights, international commerce protocols, wine appraisals and auctions, and vintners who have experience exporting to Asia. Suppliers of cutting edge technologies for wine packaging that help to authenticate, track and promote wines will participate in a second panel discussion and a small trade show.
The Wine Anti-Counterfeiting Seminar program runs from 7:30 am to 1 pm at Silverado Resort in Napa and includes continental breakfast and lunch. The cost is $50 per person. For more information and to register, email Jacques Brix.
Scheduled Speakers and Suppliers:
Contact: Patsy McGaughy, Communications Director 707.968.4207 pmcgaughy@napavintners.com
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