For any of you who have experienced the confusion and frustration that so often comes from dealing with winery compliance I’ve got some educational opportunities to let you know about that may be able to give you a light at the end of the tunnel in your search to understand compliance. The first one is through Napa Valley College. The course is Winery Compliance and Recordkeeping. It is part of the Viticulture and Technology program at NVC. It is being offered in the Spring 2011 courses. It is a six session class which starts on Wednesday January 19th. Here is the link to the college’s website where you can look it up and sign up online if interested: www.napavalley.edu/Academics/Schedule/Pages/welcome.aspx I am the instructor for this class also, so if you have any specific questions about its topics, etc feel free to send me an email. The other opportunity is through the Napa Valley Vintners. They are hosting a compliance conference and tradefair on Friday, January 14th in Yountville. There will be several presenters there (yours truly included) from compliance service providers to governmental agencies covering topics from federal regulations to shipping topics. There will be time allowed for Q & A, so great opportunity to come and get your specific questions answered as well as network with other wineries. You do need to be a member of NVV to attend this workshop. Their website is: http://www.napavintners.com/programs/ Compliance systems are most definetely NOT static. They require ongoing maintenance to keep them running smoothly and effectively. Compliance is also an area that there is never any shortage of questions in. By taking advantage of educational opportunities such as these, you can get your questions answered and also meet some potential power partners for future reference.