Charlotte Oliver, PhD, began her journey into viticulture through her love of studying plant diseases. In her pursuit of research, she stumbled into the world of grapes. Enthralled by a beautiful world of vines and rots, she never left. Her master's research and vineyard work began in northern Virginia in 2012. Since then, she has worked with vineyards in the eastern Washington high desert and here in the Grand Valley. Her research-focused work has been on vineyard disease monitoring and vineyard practice perceptions. She also has extensive experience in one-on-one grower communications and interactive extension workshops. She believes viticulture skills can be learned in a classroom but really need to be experienced for full understanding. Sound viticulture practices are required to make the best quality grapes - the first ingredient in award-winning wines!
In her spare time, she cares for her ever-expanding collection of indoor plants, searches for new wineries and goes camping with her husband and dog.