Global Steering Committee
An international non-profit institution, commited to make a greater contribution to mitigate climate change.
Diana Snowden Seysses
Diana was born and raised in the Napa Valley. She graduated from the Viticulture & Enology program at UC Davis in 2001, then worked in both California and French cellars with Robert Mondavi Winery, Mumm Napa, the Araujo Estate, Château La Fleur de Boüard, Domaine Leflaive and Ramey Wine Cellars. In 2003 Diana became enologist at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy, and consultant at Domaine de Triennes in Provence. In 2005 she became winemaker at Snowden Vineyards in St Helena, Ca and in 2016 became winemaker for Ashes & Diamonds in Oak Knoll, Ca. She splits her time between France and California bringing wisdom from each across the Atlantic.
Welcome message by Diana Snowden Seysses: Youtube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUDQnPdowfg
WINEMAKER AT DOMAINE DUJAC AND PROPRIETOR AND WINEMAKER AT SNOWDEN VINEYARDS
Grej Jones
Since July 2021, Gregory V. Jones is the CEO of Abacela. He is the former Director of the Evenstad Center for Wine Education and a former professor and research climatologist in the Department of Environmental Studies at Linfield College. He specializes in the study of climate structure and suitability for viticulture, and how climate variability and change influence grapevine growth, wine production and quality. He holds a BA and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in the Atmospheric Sciences. His dissertation was on the climatology of viticulture in Bordeaux, France with a focus on the spatial differences in grapevine phenology, grape composition and yield, and the resulting wine quality. He conducts applied research for the grape and wine industry in Oregon and has given hundreds of international, national, and regional presentations on climate and wine-related research. He is the author of numerous book chapters, including being a contributing author to the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report, and other reports and articles on wine economics, grapevine phenology, site assessment methods for viticulture, climatological assessments of viticultural potential, and climate change. He was named the Oregon Wine Press's 2009 Wine Person of the Year, named to Decanter Magazine's 2009 Power List representing the top 50 most influential people in the world of wine, has been in the top 100 most influential people in the US wine industry in 2012, 2013, and 2018 (intowine.com), and named in the Top 50 Wine Industry Leaders in Wine Business Monthly in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Recently he was bestowed with the Honorary Confrade with the Rank of Infanção (Nobleman) from the Confraria do Vinho do Porto for his work with the Portuguese wine industry.
Climatologist & CEO at Abacela, US
Nuno Gaspar de Oliveira
Managing Partner and CEO at NBI – Natural Business Intelligence. Biologist, specialized in Ecology (FCUL). Former Ecosystem Manager at Esporão. Lecturer at postgraduate courses in Sustainability Management at IDEFE/ISEG. Scientific Advisor in the Working Group for the implementation of an R&D agenda for the Wines of Alentejo and member of the Porto Protocol Global Steering Committee. Collaborated with WWF on the "New Generation Plantations" and "HABEaS-Hotspot Areas for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services" projects and was part of the nuclear team of the 'Earth Condominium' and 'Green Cork' projects, coordinated by Quercus. Formerly Sustainability Manager at ISG Business and Economics School and Sun Concept – Solar Boat Builders, a start-up dedicated to the construction of electric solar boats. Post graduated in Geography and Spatial Planning (FCSH-NOVA) and Strategy and Management (IST-UL). Senior advisor in agroecology, biodiversity, ecosystem services and sustainability.
MANAGING PARTNER AND CEO AT NBI-NATURAL BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE, PORTUGAL
Richard Smart
Dr Richard Smart is an Australian viticultural scientist with 57 years in the grape and wine industry, and a grandfather of four. His professional experience has been in environmental physiology, canopy management and climate effects on grapevines and wine. His work has been as researcher and teacher, and more recently as international consultant. Dr Smart has visited over 30 countries and their wine regions while giving lectures and consulting.
Richard's interest in matters to do with climate change was in the 1960's, using an infrared gas analyser to measure carbon dioxide in air, and hence photosynthesis. In 1970 during PhD studies at Cornell University he heard that increasing CO2 in the atmosphere would result in global warming, due to infrared absorption. He has studied and lectured and written about the impact of global warming on the grape and wine sector, and was the first to raise this issue at OIV General Assembly in the 1980s.
Richard's scientific background and travels have given him a perspective on the climate crisis and the future of the world wine industry. Because of the very strong variety by regional climate interaction affecting wine quality, this sector will be one of the agricultural industries most affected by climate change. Yet, despite this, action the climate crisis on wine is not widespread; further the limited interest that exists extends mostly to adaptation. The more ethical and relevant issue of mitigation is barely discussed. Continuing use of 3 century-old packaging, and release of fermentation CO2 to the atmosphere characterise the sector.
The Australian and New Zealand wine industries have pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050. Where are the others?
VITICULTURIST AND INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT AT SMART VITICULTURE, AUSTRALIA