Viticulture and Enology

AgWeatherNet Director Gerrit Hoogenboom recently visited the Washington State University Tri-Cities campus to share information about the university’s 160 automated weather stations across the state. Not only was there a good crowd of WSU viticulture and enology students, but 13-year-old Angelo Bravo came to learn more about being a meteorologist — a career he’s been interested in since age 3! His mother Sylvia said, “When other kids were watching cartoons, he was watching the weather channel.”

Theodor “Ted” Baseler, president and CEO of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, is the 77th Seattle-King County First Citizen. Although widely recognized for propelling the state’s wine industry to prominence on the world wine stage, he is also known to be a strong advocate for higher education and a champion for underserved students.

Just when it seemed a great thing couldn’t get better, Washington State University Chateau Ste. Michelle Distinguished Professor of Viticulture Markus Keller published the second edition of his textbook “The Science of Grapevines: Anatomy and Physiology”. That’s right, a textbook.

Kaelin Campbell, of Pullman, is the lucky Facebook “liker” who wins a copy of “The Crimson Spoon: Plating Regional Cuisine on the Palouse”! Campbell is an undergraduate student in the Washington State University Viticulture and Enology Program and president of the Viticulture and Enology Club at the Pullman campus.

Washington State University students and faculty dominated awards for research poster sessions and scholarships during the Washington Association of Wine Grape Growers 2015 annual meeting.

Partnerships key to healthy Northwest vines | How many bubbles are needed in bubbly? | Wine Science Center nearly complete | Winery owner offers online info session | Find us on Facebook to win “The Crimson Spoon”

“Like” the Washington State University Viticulture & Enology Program on Facebook for program and wine industry updates! Everyone who likes our post about “The Crimson Spoon: Plating Regional Cuisine on the Palouse” between February 18 and March 17, 2015, will be entered to win a copy. The winner of the cookbook will be announced on March 18 in the “Voice of the Vine” and on the WSU Viticulture & Enology Program Facebook page.

Members of the viticulture and enology program at Washington State University are packing to move into their new digs on the Tri-Cities campus this spring. Construction of the $23-million Wine Science Center has reached substantial completion, and Lydig Construction is working through the “punch list” to finish the 39,300-square-foot, LEED Silver-certified research and teaching facility. (VIDEO)

With Washington being the second largest premium wine producer in the United States, the outlook for Washington State University viticulture and enology graduates is much like the weather during growing season in Washington’s wine country: sunny. Seven new vineyard and wine scientists from WSU are ready to enter the grape and wine industry around the world.

Washington State University viticulture professor Markus Keller recently returned from the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, or BOKU) in Vienna, Austria, where he served as an invited visiting professor during December.