Viticulture for Winemakers: Working with Your Vineyard Manager
Although winemakers aim to know as much as possible about viticulture, the profession is so demanding that it is sometimes difficult to be fully expert in both areas. This session will help those in the cellar be more in tune with vineyard operations.
Speakers Bios
Bryan Berenguer holds an M.Sc. in viticulture and enology from a joint program between Montpellier SupAgro, France; Bordeaux Sciences Agro, France; and Hochschule Geisenheim University, Germany. He has worked for wineries in both the vineyard and cellar in the Languedoc region of southern France and in the Mosel Valley region of Germany. His main area of interest lies in organic and biodynamic wine production. He also holds a WSET Level 3 in wines. Bryan has not always worked in the wine industry. He also has a M.Sc. in agriculture systems from North Carolina State University and spent more than 18 years working with farmers and managing agriculture development projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America before moving into the wine industry.
Leti Catoira is a native of Mendoza, Argentina, Leti had an early interest in wine and agriculture which led her to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Enology and Viticulture from Universidad Nacional de Cuyo in her hometown.
After beginning her career in the wine industry of Argentina, she broadened her experience by working in California and New Zealand, ultimately arriving in Oregon to pursue her true passion: growing premium quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes. She has been developing her winegrowing career in the Willamette Valley since 2010, working for Argyle, Stoller Family Estate and joining Jackson Family Wines in 2014. Beyond the scope of her work in the vineyards, Leti is very involved in the Oregon wine community where she teaches viticulture classes to Spanish speakers at Chemeketa Community College. She has also shown her commitment to sustainability, serving as LIVE’s technical committee chair for the Willamette Valley since 2017.
When not in the vineyards, you can catch Leti engaging in an outdoors activity like a beautiful hike across the Pacific Northwest or simply enjoying a glass of her favorite Oregon wine or Argentinean Malbec.
Isabelle Meunier, a native of Quebec, studied winemaking and viticulture at the University of Dijon in Burgundy, and in New Zealand at Lincoln University, before gaining practical experience in renowned wineries in both countries. After a few years working with the mentorships of fellow French-Canadian Pascal Marchand at Domaine de la Vougeraie in Burgundy, Blair Walter at Felton Road in New Zealand, and Dominique Lafon of Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Isabelle moved to Oregon’s Willamette Valley in 2007 to start the Evening Land Vineyards project she helmed until 2014. She then started her own winery venture, LAVINEA, an artisan producer of distinctive single-vineyard Pinot Noirs & Chardonnays.
Erik Kramer grew up in South Florida. Erik worked for several years as a hydrogeologist in the petrochemical industry long before he realized he could apply his passion for precision and balance to a subject that he was more enthusiastic about: wine. Erik’s career in winemaking began over 20 years ago and most of his time in the profession has been spent in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. He joined Jackson Family Wines as the Winemaker for WillaKenzie Estate in 2017. Before taking the helm at WillaKenzie, Erik was Director of Winemaking and Viticulture for Domaine Serene, a position he held for six years. Erik was also part of the winemaking team at Adelsheim Vineyard for many years and his experiences with their estate vineyards helped foster a deep appreciation for the intricacies of Willamette Valley terroirs. Erik holds a B.S. in Geology from Florida State University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University in Canterbury, New Zealand.
Alex Cabrera‘s viticulture journey started in Peru, where he worked at his extended family’s pisco business, doing back-breaking work with pergola-trellised grapevines. Originally a student of the biochemistry and biophysics program at OSU, Alex decided to switch to the Viticulture and Enology program to pursue the science and art of grape growing and wine making. Alex started his career in 2007 as Vineyard Manager at Abacela, the premier producer of New World Tempranillo, where he oversaw the management and continued development of Abacela’s complex estate vineyards. He joined Results Partners in early 2012 and enjoys the opportunity to work with a variety of professional clients, farming a broad range of geographical sites with complimentary management philosophies.
Drew Herman is the current vineyard manager at JK Carriere. He studied zoology and botany and worked in applied biology until returning to the Northwest in 2010 to farm full time. His approach to plant health and nutrition is focused on the understanding of natural systems.
