1951-2018
Our good friend, Jim Wolpert died in October 2018. Jim believed in making connections between the world of academia and the wine industry directly, serving in the UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology since 1985 as CE Specialist in Viticulture and as department Chair for 10 years. He spent a good part of his career conveying mission-critical information to the grape and wine industry throughout the state. In the Zinfandel realm, Jim was the visionary, director and UC Davis champion of the Zinfandel Heritage Vineyard Project. The results of Jim’s long-standing commitment to Zinfandel research stretch back over 25 years and resulted in advances to our understanding of Zinfandel, preservation of Zinfandel selections throughout California, and the availability of clean Zinfandel material for future plantings. Jim was a kind, gracious man and always willing to extend his support, with gestures both big and small. Sometimes you wonder if one person can make a difference. Jim Wolpert’s contributions will extend long into the future of California grape growing.
For more information on the Heritage Vineyard Project, click here
