- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
A welcome sign of spring each year for grape producers is budbreak, the moment when tiny buds on the vine start to swell and green leaves appear. Budbreak varies by region, variety and even vineyard topography, but in Sonoma County, unseasonably warm weather caused buds to burst early, reported Bill Swindell in the Press-Democrat.
“Perhaps it's the new normal,” said Jen Walsh, the winemaker at La Crema Winery in the Russian River Valley, commenting about long-term change due to global warming.
The Carneros region that borders San Pablo Bay is typically the first wine appellation to experience bud...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
UC Cooperative Extension advisor Lindsay Jordan is growing 56 varieties of grapes at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center to see how varietals from other parts of the world flourish or fail, reported Sydney Maki in the Fresno Bee.
The front-page story provided an overview of Jordan's career, research plans and personality.
“My love of wine drives a lot – what can I say,” Jordan said. “I don't know about you, but I want to keep drinking wine until the day I die, so I really want to do my part to ensure the...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Lindsay Jordan has joined the academic staff of UC Agriculture and Natural Resources as a UC Cooperative Extension viticulture advisor for Merced, Mariposa and Madera counties, reported Jane Firstenfeld in Wines and Vines.
Jordan has a master's degree from Cornell University and bachelor's degree from UC Davis.
"We consider her a star," said Maxwell Norton, who retires June 30 after 30 years as a Merced County UC ANR advisor and county director.
Jordon told Wines and Vines that she expects water use,...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
Two new UC Cooperative Extension viticulture advisors are the subject of a lengthy Q&A in Growing Produce. The juxtaposition of Allison Ferry-Abee, who serves Kings and Tulare counties, and Ashraf El kereamy, who serves Kern County, makes for interesting reading.
Ferry-Abee has deep valley roots. She is a native of Easton and her great-grandfather was a pest inspector for Sun Maid. Ferry-Abee earned a bachelor's degree at Fresno State and a doctorate degree at UC Davis.
El kereamy hails from Egypt. He...
- Author: Jeannette E. Warnert
When winemaker Merry Edwards was a student at UC Davis in the 1970s, there were no women professors, she said, according to a Reuters feature about her career. After graduation, Edwards faced gender discrimination when looking for her first job.
But times have changed, Reuters reported. David Block, the head of the university's viticulture and enology department, said about 60 percent of their graduate students this year are women. Edwards now has her own winery in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley and her own...