EPISODE # 25 JOY TING/WINEMAKERS RESEARCH EXCHANGE COORDINATOR

Fine Wine Confidential Podcast

Joy Ting fell for the wine bug after a trip visiting here boyfriend, now her husband, while he was stationed in Northern California during his stint in the Air Force. They took a trip to Napa Valley and that experience intrigued the both of them. When they settled in Charlottesville, Virginia because he got a position at University of Virginia in the medical department she realized quickly that her degree in Marine Biology wasn't going to lead to a budding career there. After taking some teaching positions she start to take the accredited viticulture courses at Piedmont Valley Community College in Charlottesville and would then teach several course in the Science of Wine.
She got her big break when Michael Shaps hired her in 2013 as his Lab Technician at Michael Shaps Wineworks. Because of the contract winemaking that Michael was doing they could afford a full-time Lab person. Eventually, she would move into the role of the production manager in 2015 and from 2016 to 2018 she took on the winemaking duties as Jake Busching who was there moved into the vineyard side of the business..
The Winemakers Research Exchange which Joy is currently in charge of as the Coordinator began started when it received a grant from the Monticello Wine Trail in 2014. In 2016 WRE was funded in total by the Virginia Wine Board and was extend its services to the entire state of Virginia and its winegrowers.
Additionally, Joy still produces small amounts of wine under her own wine label, Joy Ting Wine. Well worth a search if you can find any as they are terrific expressions of the specific vineyards and terroir she sources grapes from
HIGHLIGHTS:
a). She recounts her trip to Napa and how it has such an effect on both her and her husbanc.
b). Explains how she was fortunate to get in the wine business after having a degree in Marine Biology, Biology being her first love.
c). Gives me some perspective on why working for Michael Shaps at his Wineworks was so instrumental in her knowledge and development in both research and winemaking, which she still enjoys today.
d). Recants that when she took the position at Winemakers Research Exchange, (WRE) she wanted to still continue to make wine on her own and they not only agreed but believed she should continue as it would remind her daily of what the winemakers she would be working with at WRE were experiencing. In essence to keep her in touch with the reality of winegrowing.
e). Shares stories from the early days of during the formation of what would become WRE when a small group of winemakers received a grant from the Monticello Wine Trail which would ultimately lead to the Virginia Wine Board taking over the funding at substantially higher levels allowing for her full-time positions as the Coordinator and extending it to the entire state of Virginia and its winemaking community.
f). Joy shares her opinion about the future of winegrowing in Virginia and the role that hybrids will most likely play along with grape varietals that are being developed for the future.
Much, Much more. It is a terrific interview and you can download the full text transcript on my website. Thanks for listening.

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