What is the Penn State Wine Grape Program?
The Penn State Wine Grape Program is focused on these viticulture topics to improve the quality of wine grape in Pennsylvania:
1. Site selection and evaluation – using experience and technology to select, evaluate and develop high quality vineyards.
2. Proper pruning and canopy management
3. Crop management – proper crop regulation to achieve high quality grapes
4. Grape IPM – disease, insect, weed and other vineyard pests management
5. Clean vine materials – the production and availability of disease and virus-free plant materials
6. Post-veraison viticulture – a key time to achieve wine quality through proper vineyard management
7. New grape grower training and education
Past Guest Speakers:
Viticulture: Dr. Richard Smart, Smart Viticulture (Australia); Dr. Kees van Leeuwen, Chateau Cheval Blanc/ENITA Bordeaux; Dr. Jean Philippe Roby, ENITA Bordeaux; Dr. Xavier Chone, viticulture consultant, Bordeaux; Dr. Jesus Yuste, ITACyL Spain; Dr. James Wolpert, UC Davis; Dr. Mark Greenspan, Advanced Viticulture; Dr. Glenn McGourty, Univ of California; Dr. Bhaskar Bondada, Washington State Univ; Dr. Tony Wolf, Virginia Tech; Dr. Terry Bates, Cornell University; Alice Wise, Cornell University: Dr. Sara Spayd, NC State Univ; Dr. Joe Fiola, Univ of MD; Dr. Tim Martinson, Cornell University; Dr. Alan Lakso, Cornell; Dr. Gary Pavlis, Rutgers; Dr. Peter Hemstad, Univ of MN; John Thull, Univ of MN; Dr. Andrew Reynolds, Brock Univ; Dr. Kevin Ker, KCMS/Brock Univ (Canada); Fritz Westover, Texas A&M; Lucie Morton, Virginia; Jeff Newton, Coastal Vineyard Care Associates; Nelson Stewart; Dr. James Stamp, Stamp Associates Professional Viticulture; Russell Smithyman, Chateau Ste Michelle, WA; Alan York, California; Vicki Bess, BBC Labs; Jim Law, Linden Vineyards VA; Fernando Franco, Barboursville, Vineyard; Chris Hill, Virginia; Ed Boyce, Black Ankle Vineyard, MD; John Santos, Hazlitt Vineyard, NY; Barbara Shinn, Shinn Estate Vineyard; John Wagner, Wagner Vineyard.
Soils: Dr. Daniel Roberts, Integrated Winegrowing: Dr. Alfred Cass, WineSoil; Dr. Paul Anamosa, VineyardSoil; Dr. Yves Herody, BRDA (France); Dr. Paul Skinner, Terra Spase; Dr. Gary Peterson, Penn State; Dr. Alex Blackburn, Virginia; Dr. Paul Chu, A&L Eastern Labs; Dr. James Fisher, SoilSolutions; Gunther Hauk, The Pfeiffer Center
Climate: Dr. Gregory Jones, Southern Oregon University; Joe Russo, ZedX; Richard Woolley, Weathertrends; Tom Russell, WHP-TV
IPM: Dr Wayne Wilcox, Cornell Univ; Dr. David Gadoury, Cornell Univ; Dr. Mizuho Nita, Virginia Tech, Alice Wise, Cornell Univ; Dr. Andrew Landers, Cornell Univ; Dr. Jim Travis, Penn State; Dr. Turner Sutton, NC State Univ: Wendy McFadden-Smith, Brock Univ (Canada); Jeanette Smith, VineSmith; Rick Dunst, Cornell Univ
Wine making: Andy Erickson, Favia Wines; Clark Smith, Vinovation; Rajat Parr, Sandhi Wines; Thomas Bachelder, Bachelder Wines; Sigrid Gertsen-Briand, Lallemand; Dr. Gavin Sacks, Cornell Univ; Dr. Anna Katherine Mansfield, Cornell Univ; Chris Gerling, Cornell Univ; Dr. Bruce Zoecklein, Virginia Tech; Todd Steiner, Ohio State Univ; Lisa van de Water, The Wine Lab; Russell Hearn, Premium Wine Group; Sue Ann Staff, Pellitieri Winery, Ontario; Sandra Marynissen, Marynissen Estate, Ontario; Angelo Pavan, Cave Springs Winery, Ontario; Jenny McCloud, Chrysalis Vineyards.
Wine: David Schildknecht, The Wine Advocate, Dr. Pat McGovern, Univ. of Pennsylvania; Rajat Parr, MSW/Sandhi.
A major accomplishment of the program was to host the 2008 American Society of Enology and Viticulture Eastern Section annual conference and symposium in the Lehigh Valley. This brought researchers and educators from the East, Midwest and Canada to Pennsylvania.
The Penn State Wine Grape Program is an industry-driven extension program. The educator relies on the counsel of an advisory committee to develop and direct the program. The committee meets twice a year to discuss current issues and where the program can have the most impact. Stan Sowinski, owner of Endless Mountain Vineyards in NE PA is the current committe chair. Past chairs including Nelson Stewart, Linda Baird-Jansen, Tony Vietri, and Eric Miller.
The viticulture educator welcomes input from anyone involved in the wine industry. Programs are open to the public and you do not need to be a commercial producer to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Mark Chien.