REAL WORLD APPLICATIONS OF PEDOLOGY & GEOMORPHOLOGY TO VINEYARD SITING, PACIFIC NORTHWEST U.S

Years of advanced university research on soils, agriculture, GIS-based soil-landscape prediction modeling, and Quaternary geology in the Pacific Northwest and world wide provide a robust platform for a new career in private consulting in land evaluation for high-quality vineyards and in viticulture. Clients expecting to spend up to $50,000 per acre to develop new vineyards, exclusive of land cost, are among the more motivated private parties willing to pay for Terroir studies of land prior to purchase or to identify most suitable tracts for viticulture within existing large farms or ranches. Examples range from a two-stage evaluation of a 4,000-acre ranch in the Horse Heaven Hills American Viticultural Area (AVA), Washington state, prior to purchase that resulted in the identification of the best 200 acres for wine grapes to a high-intensity soil survey of an 11-acre parcel in the Red Mountain AVA, Washington state, that included excavating 57 backhoe pits and resulted in the identification and mapping of 11 discrete soil types on the small parcel. Subsequent vineyard block design honored the soil map to create one of the more exotic micro vineyards in the U.S. Other examples include the conversion of a 320-acre wheat ranch in the Columbia Gorge area, Oregon that included a proposed design for vineyard blocks and wine grape varieties using GIS-based terrain mapping, soils information, and local expert knowledge. Other applications of a Quaternary geology and soils-based skill set include developing petitions to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s TTB to establish new AVAs on behalf of grape growers. Examples include the Wahluke Slope AVA (approved 2006) and the new Lake Chelan AVA (approved 2009) in Washington State.