In winter, the fields of neatly planted vines appear brown and dead. Come spring, though, green begins to spread like sunlight across a field, the buds that form reminiscent of bursting cocoons. The transformation has begun: new shoots spring to life on each vine, the clusters slowly emerging as the seasons progress. By summer, the call of the lush fields is irresistible. The passerby is reminded of Alice Walker's The Color Purple, in which one character remarks upon the necessity of stopping to notice the royal hue and the many beautiful delights the natural world has to offer. The temptation to feel the grape's plump fruit--whether purple or green--in one's fingers is overwhelming, and one can experience the mouthwatering burst of sugar just by glimpsing the clusters.

"We get so many people who stop to look at the vineyard. Something about seeing those vines makes people want to spend time there," notes David Stanley (art '95), of Stanburn Vineyard, a family-run business that grows grapes to sell to wineries. "Nobody does that with corn or tobacco. There's something about grapes that's different." From vine to bottle, from the smallest seed to the sweetest cluster of grapes, from the chemistry to the art, Hokies are playing a part in the delicate and fertile industry of wine-making.

CULTIVATING PASSION AND EXPERTISE

The art of grape-growing and wine-making is ancient and sweet. Surely Dionysius knew what a grand gift he'd delivered when he brought to mortals the secrets of this trade. The science of wine is a newer endeavor, though, and one of the places it finds fruition is in the labs of the Enology-Grape Chemistry Group, headed by Bruce Zoecklein, professor of enology in the Department of Food, Science, and Technology. According to Zoecklein, though humans have been making wine since somewhere between 7,000 and 5,000 B.C., depending on which estimate one follows, it was not until 1815 that a German chemist discovered the starting chemical material, sugar, and the resulting material, alcohol. In 1848 scientists realized that a biotic agent, yeast, caused fermentation.

Zoecklein, who also serves as the state enologist, began his foray into the industry as a graduate student in 1976, when he worked for several California wineries while attending school. "It was before the big boom in the industry," notes Zoecklein, who recalls that, at that time, most people in the U.S. wine industry were involved because of family ties to the art of wine-making. Since then, Zoecklein observes, the industry has grown by the ton, as has interest in the fine art of drinking wine. "Early on, those establishing wineries and vineyards were true pioneers, doing something very unconventional with a high economic risk," he remarks, noting that choosing to grow wine in a new region is always met with skepticism.

In 1985, Zoecklein arrived at Virginia Tech, having already pursued viticulture research and enology at Fresno State University. Though the initial goal of his research here--and of the establishment of the Enology-Grape Chemistry Group--was to assist Virginia wineries in their development, the venture quickly gained a more global scope. The cultivation of the Virginia wine industry remains a driving force, however.

Wine research at Tech is primarily focused on grape quality, mainly on the aroma-flavor precursors, which determine the quality of the wine. Researchers place emphasis on isolating the elements responsible for developing aroma and flavor, such as how training and trellising systems affect quality, whether a higher crop yield--the number of clusters on one vine--results in lower quality, or if there is a difference between crops on different sides of the grape canopy. They even have an electronic nose that can nondestructively evaluate volatile compounds while the grapes are still on the vine, which helps determine the optimum time for harvest.

"Essentially, we're attempting to be able to index fruit quality, which would be a predictor of wine quality, so that we could predict wine quality before the wine's even made," says Zoecklein.

			In 1985, Zoecklein arrived at Virginia Tech, having already pursued viticulture research and enology at Fresno State University. Though the initial goal of his research here--and of the establishment of the Enology-Grape Chemistry Group--was to assist Virginia wineries in their development, the venture quickly gained a more global scope.

The Enology-Grape Chemistry Group also provides a fee-based service for grape-growers in which they provide a detailed chemical analysis of a juice or wine provided by the client. The information is kept confidential and is placed on a secured webpage that can be accessed only by a few lab technicians and the customer. In addition, Extension services such as workshops, short courses, symposiums, and printed bulletins educate people interested in the industry on a variety of viticulture-related topics, including a course on sparkling wine production that attracted attendees from 17 states and a series on winery establishment and production. Information about the group, its labs, research, and services, is available at www.vtwines.info.

When Stanley--a graphic designer for University Relations--and his family decided to begin growing grapes in 1999, they turned first to Virginia Tech faculty member and viticulture Extension specialist Tony Wolf, attending seminars he offered on such issues as pruning and integrated pest management. The Stanleys also sent soil samples to Virginia Tech. The results of the analysis told them what sorts of nutrients to work into the land, and petiole, or grape-leaf stem, samples were analyzed during the growing season to make recommendations.

Tim Gorman (horticulture '95), of Cardinal Point Winery in Afton, Va., says that the winery frequently utilizes the services offered by Virginia Tech. Though the winery used to send samples to California, he says that they now primarily rely on Virginia Tech's labs. "We get the results quicker, and I can get on the phone with Bruce--he usually even remembers the wine, so the service is excellent." Gorman says having resources like those Tech offers is a good advantage for their business and is more economical as well.

STATE OF THE VINE

At the seminars hosted by Virginia Tech's Extension program, the changing face of the Virginia wine industry can be seen. Gorman, who attends such seminars often, says he has noticed a shift in the Virginia wine industry. "Bruce brings in people from all over the world to talk to winemakers," Gorman notes. "And we're seeing bigger wineries at these events--it shows that we're getting serious about wines here in Virginia."

For the Stanleys, Stanburn Vineyard--a moniker that combines the family's last name with his mother, Elsie's, maiden name, Burnette--began not with a passion for wine, but as an homage to David's parents' farming roots. "When we started, we didn't know anything about growing grapes," he says. "We didn't even drink wine." Inspired by Nelson and Elsie's experiences and armed with knowledge garnered with the help of the Enology-Grape Chemistry Group and Tech's Extension viticulture programs, the family dove into the business. David and his father even make a small amount of wine, just so they can better understand the industry. "If you're creating something in the early stage, it helps to understand the later stage. We know more about what the wineries need if we understand the wine-making process better."

For the Stanleys, managing the 10-acre vineyard on their 100-acre property brings the entire family together. From David's wife, Tabatha, and their children--six-year-old Conner and eight-year-old Kaylee, who can be found riding around the farm on their small, battery-operated cars--to sister Dawn Stanley Osborne at the helm of a tractor, everyone finds joy and reward in their grape-growing venture. "It's amazing just to watch nature work its magic," says Stanley.

Gorman notes that the topography of the Virginia landscape lends itself to small, family-owned vineyards such as Cardinal Point Winery. Gorman's sister is the business manager for their winery, and his brother, an architect, designed their tasting room. "I think it mirrors small farms in general," Gorman adds, noting that, as the wine industry in the state grows, bigger players tend to come into the picture. The winery sits on 90 acres, though only 15 acres is actual vineyard. "The land dictates a lot about what you can do," he says.

David Stanley ’95 (left) and his father, Nelson Stanley, at Stanburn Vineyard in Stuart, Va.

For members of the Virginia wine industry, such as Tiffany Aldridge (forestry and wildlife '97), vice president of operations for Chateau Morrisette in Meadows of Dan, Va., Virginia wines are a particular passion. "I feel that there is tremendous potential in our industry, but our ability to move forward is hampered by the wineries' inability to ‘play well' together." Aldridge says one of her objectives is to create opportunities for wineries in the state to find common ground so that they may work together to achieve the goals of the more than 100 wineries currently operating in Virginia. "There is some tremendous talent at wineries in this state," she remarks. "Though I don't claim to have any of that talent when it comes to winemaking, I do take a great deal of pride in being part of this industry and working elbow to elbow with some of the folks who do."

TOWARD A FUTURE HARVEST

Stanley says of the changing economic climate, "Wineries won't stop making wine." Though he does note that many wineries are buying fewer grapes as stock begins to pile up, he says it is easy for growers to adjust to changing demand. By thinning the grapes in anticipation of a weakening market, for example, growers are able to save harvest time while also potentially producing grapes with a higher sugar content--which means a higher alcohol content--as fewer clusters on the vine means more sunlight and nutrients for the remaining clusters. Yet Stanley adds that such change has spurred innovation. His family's business, which continues to sell primarily to Chateau Morrisette, has just established a website to branch out and sell to other wineries.

At Veritas Vineyard and Winery, Pelton says only time will tell whether they continue to expand or reach a plateau. She sees the overall growth in the Virginia wine industry as increasing in both the number of wineries and the quality of the finished product. Pelton credits the resources provided by Virginia Tech as essential to the industry's expansion. "Now that the Virginia wine industry has developed so much, I would also like to see the program at Tech broaden in comparison. Right now, resources are scarce for most sectors, but the Virginia wine industry is in need of a strong base at Virginia Tech, which will require some growth."

Gorman says that while they are watching expenses like everyone else, Cardinal Point Winery has also seen significant success--the 2008 crush sold out, and the winery is producing 4,000 cases this year, up from 2,500 in 2007. There are also plans to expand the size of the tasting room.

It appears as though those passing by one of the ever-increasing number of Virginia vineyards might find it more and more difficult to drive past those fields and not stop to wonder about the fruitful colors one might glimpse peeking from between the patterns of vines and leaves.