Making of a Vigneron

My husband, Dave refers to himself as wanting to become a vigneron rather than a winemaker. What's the difference? The French word means winegrower or grape cultivator. It's a subtle connotational difference but an important one. The vigneron lets the grapes speak for themselves. It's a humble vocation.

When Dave first started to get into the art of winemaking, we were living in Temecula wine country in Southern California. He was interning at a winery management company and got a glimpse into the art and science of wine. Many families, multigenerationally, devote their lives to this vocation and why? When people ask what my husband does and I tell them he is studying to a be a winemaker, there's always someone who grins and comments, "Wow! People go to school for that? What a cool job." Hey buddy, the "cool job" requires days of grueling manual labor, meticulous attention to detail, scientific knowledge in horticulture, chemistry and biology, a heightened sense of smell and taste, and some business savvy if they are to make any profit. What is it about wine that makes some people pay upwards thousands of dollars for 750 ml of grape juice?

And what does it take to become a vigneron or winemaker? Dave starts his first year of post-bacc studies at Oregon State University in the Food Sciences: Enology & Viticulture program this fall of 2015. We will find out.