Any SF Bay Area winery finance & accounting seminars/educational events?

Hi John: I did my public accounting stint in Napa Valley over 10 years ago and then operated my consulting business called Wine Country Accounting and Finance Consultants for 10 years in Sonoma and Napa. I'd be happy to speak with you about the industry in more detail, but my general thoughts are that it is a complex one as it involves both agricultural and manufacturing aspects, in addition to the branding, marketing, sales, depletions and distribution areas that are more traditionally associated with the consumer products (CP) market. It is also a somewhat insular industry, and difficult for people who haven't worked in wine, spirits or beverages to get into. That said, it is an industry that definitely needs strong analytical skills and technology-savvy, solution-oriented people - particularly from the business analyst and accounting/finance disciplines. The consolidation that has occurred in the business in the last 10 years, and the domination of major spirits and wine companies like Constellation, Diageo and Fosters, has changed the wine industry landscape enormously, both in terms of personnel and skills requirements, as well as from the business operations perspective. Again, please feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions or would like some references of people you might want to contact in "wine country."