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Masters in viticulture
WSU students growing some of the world’s best grapes
Monday, Aug. 6, 2012
By Brian Clark, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences
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Laura Deyermond |
Richard Hoff |
Matt Halldorson |
PROSSER, Wash. - They came to the vineyards of eastern Washington from Massachusetts, Wisconsin, and Arizona. Although their backgrounds are as different as their home states, they now have two things in common — a master’s degree in viticulture earned under the mentorship of Markus Keller, and a good job in their chosen fields.
"We’ve had great success in seeing our students take jobs in the viticulture industry,” said Keller, the Washington State University Chateau Ste. Michelle Distinguished Professor of Viticulture. "We barely have time to hand them their degrees before they are out the door to go work in vineyards all over the world.”
Andover, Mass. native Laura Deyermond said, "I chose WSU because I wanted a new adventure outside of New England. I knew that I wanted to study viticulture on the West Coast and WSU had an up and coming program which was producing a lot of interesting and practical research.”
Well prepared for graduate study with a B.S. in plant, soil, and insect sciences with a concentration in sustainable agriculture from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Deyermond studied the consequences of irrigation on various pruning regimes effect grapevine growth and development.
"Grapevines are not irrigated on the East Coast, so I wanted to gain a better understanding of grapevine physiology and how to gauge vine water status based on external symptoms,” Deyermond said.
Coming to WSU with a B.S. in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls, Richard Hoff studied berry shrivel, a ripening disorder that sometimes plagues grapes.
"I mostly worked with Cabernet Sauvignon and studied a ripening disorder that begins at or after veraison and results in shriveled berries with low sugar concentration and low pH – making them extremely sour,” Hoff said.
"I mostly worked with Cabernet Sauvignon and studied a ripening disorder that begins at or after veraison and results in shriveled berries with low sugar concentration and low pH – making them extremely sour,” Hoff said.
"Arizona had some viticultural endeavors that piqued my curiosity, and that’s what ultimately brought me to WSU,” said Matt Halldorson. "After getting my B.S. in plant biology at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, I worked a few seasons for the U.S. Forest Service as a botanist and a firefighter. But I could never secure more than seasonal employment, so I decided to look at another area of plant biology for a career. I have always been interested in ethnobotany — the study of human/plant relations — and growing wine grapes is certainly one of the oldest forms of ethnobotany, so it seemed like it might be a good fit.”
Halldorson did his master’s research on leafroll disease on merlot grapes, studying how the disease can change drought tolerance and cold hardiness of the vines. "It was a great project that allowed me to learn about several important aspects of viticulture — pathology, water relations, and winter cultural practices among them,” he said. "And before I even graduated, I had an offer of an assistant viticulturist position with Wycoff Farms in Prosser. I am now working for them full time and the 2012 growing season is in full swing.”
"Graduate school gave me the confidence to trust my own instincts and the skills I need to continue learning. I am currently working as an assistant viticulturist for Jack Neal and Son, a vineyard management firm in the Napa Valley,” Deyermond said. "It was my goal to be a Napa Valley viticulturist ever since I started working in vineyards on Long Island in New York.”
Hoff said that his graduate studies gave him "a good foundation in the biology and chemistry of grapevines and the practical application of viticulture. This has prepared me well for my current position as a viticulturist with Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, where I monitor over 5,000 acres of vineyard in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA, and provide consulting and suggestions to growers under contract with our company.”
"The success of these students is indicative of how hungry the viticultural industry is for employees with strong science educations,” said Keller. "Being able to think critically and approach problem solving creatively go hand in hand with working through the challenges of a Master’s degree program. All of us involved in WSU’s viticultural research and education programs are proud of Laura, Richard, and Matt — and all our graduates. As we know, a great bottle of wine begins in the vineyard, so it makes me happy about the future greatness of the vineyards they are working in, and the fine wines that are sure to follow.”
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