Hans Walter-Peterson

I am the viticulture extension specialist and team leader for the Finger Lakes Grape Program. My outreach and research program covers a wide range of topics, including:

• Vineyard practices that improve vine health, productivity, and fruit quality
• Pest management strategies that promote both economic and environmental sustainability
• Information that can lead to greater market access and business viability

I currently serve as a member of the Extension & Outreach Committee for the National Grape Research Alliance, an organization that aims to advance viticultural research and extension efforts in the United States and I have served on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Enology & Viticulture. I am a proud consumer of both Finger Lakes Riesling wines and Concord grape juice.

I am also a graduate student in the Graduate Field of Horticulture. My PhD/EDP Program Advisor is Justine Vanden Heuvel.

Selected Publications

Peer Reviewed

• Sun, H., Loeb, G., Walter-Peterson, H., Martinson, T., Scott, J.G. 2019. Insecticide Resistance in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is Associated with Field Control Failure of Sour Rot Disease in a New York Vineyard. Journal of Economic Entomology, toz039, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toz039

Trade Publications

• Walter-Peterson, H. Fact-Checking Some Viticulture Myths. American Fruit Grower. November 2014.
• Walter-Peterson, H. C. (2012). Managing Magnesium. American Fruit Grower Meister Media Worldwide, Willoughby, OH.

Presentations & Activities

• Vineyard Practices for High Quality Grape Production. Cold Climate Conference hosted by Minnesota Grape Growers Association (Rochester, MN). February 26, 2022.
• Evaluation of a Berry Cuticle Supplements to Reduce Cluster Rots in Vineyards. B.E.V. NY Conference (Henrietta, NY). February 28, 2020.
• Winemaking for Grape Growers: Beyond Brix, pH and TA. B.E.V. NY Conference (Henrietta, NY). March 1, 2019.
• Viticulture in the Finger Lakes Region of New York State. Hokkaido Wine Academy Guest Lecture (Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan), November 7, 2018.
• Vineyard Establishment Costs. Winegrape Vineyard Establishment Conference hosted by Michigan State University (online presentation), February 9, 2018.
• Above and Below-Ground Impacts of Under-Vine Cover Crops. Great Lakes Fruit & Vegetable Expo (Grand Rapids, MI), December 5, 2017.
• “Mythbusting” in the Vineyard. Iowa Wine Growers Association Annual Conference (Ames, IA), February 6, 2017.
• New York Grape & Wine Classifieds Website
  • The NY Grape & Wine Classifieds was created to help growers, winemakers and others affiliated with the grape & wine industry to find buyers and sellers of products and services that they needed. Since the launch of the site in 2009, we conservatively estimate that the system has generated over $8 million in economic activity, based on reports from users of the site. This equates to greater than a ten-fold return on every dollar invested in the FLGP by Cornell and the county associations that support the FLGP. The site was updated in November 2021 with improved security measures to reduce spam users and ads from posting on the site.
• The Finger Lakes Teaching & Demonstration Vineyard
  • The FLGP received funding from the Genesee Valley Regional Market Authority (GVRMA) to establish a teaching and demonstration vineyard. The vineyard was planted in May 2012 on 2.5 acres of land at Anthony Road Wine Company in Dresden, NY. The Vineyard is used to educate growers in the Finger Lakes about vineyard practices, new and emerging varieties, and for applied field research projects. The vineyard is also used by the Viticulture and Wine Technology program at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) to teach its students about basic vineyard practices such as pruning, canopy management, sampling protocols, and other important vineyard operations.
• Tailgate Meetings
  • Tailgate Meetings are designed to be informal, small-group field meetings held at growers’ farms or online during the growing season. Meetings are held every other Tuesday from May to August, often with no particular set agenda other than to discuss current conditions in vineyards, timely reminders about pest and vineyard management practices, and to answer questions that growers bring to the meetings. Growers are able to earn pesticide recertification credits by attending. Past surveys have shown that over 90% of attendees have learned something at a Tailgate Meeting that they brought back to implement on their farm.