2005-2006 Annual Report
Wine Specialty Group
Association of American Geographers
Officers 2005-2006
President: Percy H. Dougherty, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA 19530
Vice President: George F. McCleary, Jr., University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045
Secretary/Treasurer: Denyse Lemaire, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ 08028
Director: Gregory Jones, Southern Oregon University, Ashland, OR 97520
Director: Tony Shaw, Brock University, St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada L2S 3A1
Director: Artimus Keiffer, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH 45501-9975
Student Director: Zoran Zok Pavlovic, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078
The Wine Specialty Group is a success beyond our wildest dreams. We have a group of
active members with diverse interests as evidenced from the paper titles, panel session, and
workshops at the Denver AAG Meeting. Although there has been a drop in membership to 115
members in 2006, the group has remained active. A membership drive will be highlighted by
the recruitment of new members at the 2006 AAG Annual Meeting.
Denver AAG Meeting
Building on the success of the Philadelphia meeting, the Denver sessions were very well
attended. Some of the sessions were standing room only. Fourteen papers were presented in
three paper sessions.
A Panel Session on Geography of Wine in Higher Education was chaired by Bill
Crowley. Participants Artimus Keiffer, Tom Schmidlin, Tony Shaw, Teresa Bullman, and Chris
Brown shared their expertise on how to teach a wine geography course.
George F. McCleary, with Jim Newman assisting, ran a great workshop on French
American Hybrid Wines. Over twenty samples were tasted, resulting in a new appreciation for
these often overlooked varieties.
Mark Chandler of the Lodi Grape Growers Association presented a tasting workshop on
the Wines of the Lodi Appellation. He illustrated the tasting with a PowerPoint presentation
showing how the terroir differs in the sub-appellations.
Doug Casky of the Colorado Wine Industry Board presented a tasting workshop in which
he presented a geographical analysis of the Colorado grape growing regions and discussed the
characteristics specific to wines from that region.
Minutes of 2005 Business Meeting
The Business Meeting followed a workshop by Mark Chandler of the Lodi Grape
Growers Association. Leftovers from the workshop and bottles supplied by members provided
for a nice reception before the Business Meeting.
The Business Meeting was well attended with 36 members participating. Major items on
the agenda included organizing sessions for the following year. It was suggested that the WSG
have more workshops and sponsor a Cultural Geography and Wine Panel Session in Chicago.
Percy and Zok Pavlovic volunteered to work on it.
Juana Ibanez of the Nomination Committee moved and Jim Newman seconded that the
current slate of officers continue for another year. With the resignation of student director Wade
Martyn, Zok Pavlovic was nominated to replace him. Denyse Lemaire was nominated for the
Secretary position. With no other nominations, the slate was approved unanimously.
In other business, it was suggested that the WSG offer a student award when there is
enough money in the Treasury. It was also decided to have a combined Business Meeting/
Wine Dinner at the 2006 Chicago AAG Meeting at a location in the convention hotel or within
walking distance. There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned and a group of
WSG members met in the lobby for an improvised wine dinner accompanied by singing waiters.
GeographyofWine.org
The Wine Specialty Group now has a web site. GeographyofWine.org is a research
database being developed on geographic aspects of viticulture. All members are welcome to
participate and contribute ideas, suggestions, reviews, photographs for the archive,
bibliographical sources, and anything else that you believe others could find beneficial. Special
thanks go to Zok Pavlovic who is our webmaster.
The main portion of GeographyofWine.org will, of course, be dedicated to academics.
The rest includes general information, which should be useful both to academicians and laymen
interested in learning more about viticulture, wine and, of course, geography. For further
information or to submit material, contact Zok Pavlovic (Zok.Pavlovic@okstate.edu) and Aswin
Subanthore (Aswin.Subanthore@okstate.edu).
Wine Specialty Group, AAG Sessions, Denver 2005
Thursday, 10:00-11:40 AM
PAPER SESSION: GEOGRAPHY OF WINE II
Organizer: Percy H. Dougherty, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Chair: Teresa L. Bulman, Portland State University
Presenters:
Frances Sternberg, Ethical Culture Fieldston School: The History of Wine and its Influence on Civilization
John Boyer, Virginia Tech University: The Geography of ‘Old Vines”
Grieg Guthy, University of California Berkeley: Wine Quality, History and the Regional Foundations of the
Northern California Wine Industry
Zok Pavlovic, Oklahoma State University: Viticulture and Northern New Mexico’s Changing Cultural
Landscape
Donna Senese, Okanagan University College: Terrorism Defined: Wine Ecumene Meets a Globalized
Tourist in the Oaknagan Valley of British Columbia
Discussants:
Barbara Carmichael, Wilfrid Laurier University; and, Denyse Lemaire, Rowan University
Thursday, 1:00-2:40 PM
PANEL SESSION: Geography of Wine in Higher Education
Organizer: Percy H. Dougherty, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Chair: William K. Crowley, Sonoma State University
Participants:
Artimus Keiffer, Wittenberg University
Tom Schmidlin, Kent State University
Tony Shaw, Brock University
Teresa L. Bulman, Portland State University
Chris Brown, New Mexico State University
Thursday, 3:00-5:00 PM
Wine Tasting Workshop: The French-American Hybrids: Wines from the Plains and Beyond
Organizer: George F. McCleary, Jr., University of Kansas
Instructor: George F. McCleary, Jr., University of Kansas
Outside of California, little wine is produced in the United States ... but this production is unique,
expanding, and exciting. Much of this expansion is based on wine made using French-American hybrid
grapes. Scattered across the country, small wineries produce excellent and outstanding wines using, for
example, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Chancellor, and Chambourcin, climate-hardy and pest-resistant
varieties that are generally unknown ... and untasted. This workshop will provide an opportunity to learn
about the spatial extent of these grape varieties and examine a selection of the wines. Individuals must
be 21 years of age to attend this workshop. Cost $30/person.
Friday, 8:00-9:40 AM
PAPER SESSION: GEOGRAPHY OF WINE II
Organizer: Percy H. Dougherty, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Chair: Ken Martis, West Virginia University
Presenters
Greg Jones, Southern Oregon University: Large Scale Climate Variability Impacts on Global Wine Quality
Percy H. Dougherty, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania: Terroir and Wine Quality in the Brunello di
Montalcino District, Tuscany, Italy
Lee Johnson, NASA: Ecological Forecasting Techniques Applied to Winegrape Vineyards
Mark Chandler, Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission: Justification for the Subdivision of the Lodi,
CA
Appellation Based on the Terroir
Josh Metz, University of California Santa Barbara: Remote Sensing of Vineyards for Regional Planning
and
Industry Sustainability
Discussants:
John Boyer, Virginia Tech; and, Tom Schmidlin, Kent State University
Friday, 10:00-11:40 AM
Paper Session: Geography of Wine III
Organizer: Percy H. Dougherty, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Chair: Greg Jones, Southern Oregon University
Presenters:
Robert Sechrist, Indiana University of Pennsylvania: Destination of Imported Wine in Pennsylvania
Barbara Carmichael, Wilfrid Laurier University: The Wine Tourism Experience in the Niagara Region,
Ontario,
Canada
Denyse Lemaire, Rowan University: Micro-Wineries in New Jersey
Douglas Casky, Colorado Wine Industry Board, Geography of Colorado Wineries
Discussants:
Christian P. Heidcamp, University of Connecticut; and, Tony Shaw, Brock University
Friday, 1:00-2:45 PM PM
Wine Tasting Workshop: Wine Tasting Geography-Wines of the Lodi California Appellation
Organizer: Percy H. Dougherty, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Presenter: Mark Chandler, Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission
Abstract: Taste the influence of geographic factors on wines produced from seven distinct subappellations of the Lodi American Viticultural Area, an up and coming California premium wine region.
Recognition of the unique geographic and climatological conditions led to the establishment of Lodi
American Viticultural Area (aka “appellation”) in 1986. Once thought of as one homogeneous valley floor
environment, recent experience highlights a wide range of terroirs. Identify wine variations resulting from
microclimates, the impact of Pacific breezes, and the influence of soils of varying ages developed on
Sierra Nevada alluvial fans in the east to bay delta deposits in the west. $30/person.
Friday, 3:00-4:45 PM
Wine Tasting Workshop: Wine Tasting Geography-Wines of Colorado
Organizer: Percy H. Dougherty, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Instructor: Doug Casky, Colorado Wine Industry Board
Abstract: Today, more than four dozen wineries are located throughout the State of Colorado, from the
metropolitan areas of the Front Range to the resorts of the mountains. The federal government
designates two regions in western Colorado as American Viticultural Areas. The first and larger is the
Grand Valley, along the Colorado River, and the second is West Elks, surrounding Paonia and Hotchkiss
on the banks of the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The majority of Colorado’s wines come from those
two areas, as well as nearby vineyards in Delta and Montrose counties. Taste the terroir differences in
this workshop. $30/person
Friday, 7:30-?
Business Meeting & Wine Tasting Dinner: Adams Mark Hotel, Directors Row, Room E
Negotiations are in progress with the Convention Hotel to have a wine tasting dinner for our Wine
Specialty Group business meeting. A portion of each dinner payment will go towards student prizes.
Members not wishing to purchase the dinner are welcome to join us for the business meeting. To keep
expenses down, we are trying to convince the hotel to allow us to BRING YOUR OWN WINE. More detail
will be coming.
Poster Session(s) (There may be more wine papers submitted but this is what I know now)
Jeff Peake, University of Nebraska at Omaha: Vineyard Support System for Nebraska Winegrape
Growers
Submitted by
Percy H. Dougherty, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Geography, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania,
Kutztown, PA 19530. 610-683-4367