Justin Baldwin, owner of Justin Vineyards and Winery, and Stasi Seay, grower representative for Diageo Chateau and Estate Wines, have joined the list of speakers for the Central Coast VINE Symposium, March 23-24, at Paso Robles, Calif.

Western Farm Press is a co-sponsor of the symposium.

Baldwin and Seay will participate in a panel discussion entitled “What wineries want from growers.” The topic is designed to give growers an opportunity to hear directly from wineries what they can do to produce the fruit quality the wineries want.

“Wineries and winemakers are the growers’ customers,” says Lowell Zelinski, symposium organizer. “Whether you are producing 1 ton an acre or 10 tons, it’s important for a grower to know what their customer wants.

“We developed this topic because we believe wineries can be a valuable resource for a grower when it comes to developing cultural practices.”

Viticulturist Neil Roberts, owner of Roberts Vineyard Services has also joined the VINE speaker roster, and will talk about the pros and cons of mechanical harvesting.

Roberts is one of the first viticulturists in the Paso Robles area to use the new Pellenc 4560 Selectiv’ Process On Board harvester. He will discuss his experience with the new machinery, its costs and benefits, and how it compares to other harvesting methods.

Registration is still open for the symposium. For more information, call (805) 434-3331 or visit www.precisionaginc.com/VINE