1. So You Think You Want to be a Viticulture Librarian?
by Suzi Teghtmeyer
Agriculture, Forestry and Botany Librarian
Michigan State University

2. Background B. S. in Forestry, minor in Agronomy in 1993
MLS in 1997, Emporia State University, Kansas
Last 8 years, the Head of the Paul Evans Library of Fruit Science, Mo. State University, Fruit Experiment Station
Extensive grape & wine collections at Evans, supporting more than 40 years of grape & wine research
Now the Mi. St. Univ. Ag., Forestry & Botany Librarian

3. The primary questions asked The best online resources
What do you need to know?
What the subjects are
The primary questions asked
The best online resources
The best journals
The best books
Who to turn to with questions
Grapegrowing and winemaking are booming industries not just in Missouri but nationwide. In this talk I’m going to address the basics of viticulture research. So what do you need to know?

4. Viticulture is the growing of grapes
What the subject is:
Viticulture is the growing of grapes
Enology the science of winemaking (oenology)
Both date back to the earliest of time, and are still alive and thriving as never before

5. The primary questions
What are the grapes to grow in my area or what kind of grapes are these?
How do I start a vineyard?
How much will it cost to establish a vineyard?

6. The best online resources
AgNIC Viticulture Web site:
AgNIC - Agriculture Network Information Center
An alliance of librarians and information professionals with a Web-presence who are coordinated by the National Agriculture Library.
To answer these primary questions, I’m going to point everyone to the best online resources, and they are compiled at the AgNIC Viticulture web site.

7. AgNIC Viticulture Web site
Homepage of the vit site at Michigan State University. Note the table of contents format.

8. AgNIC Viticulture site, TOC
Note the table of contents format – the headings are links to those sections; the TOC of headings in the left column is consistent through the pages.

9. Grapes to grow in my area
The first question was “what Grapes to grow in my area”. To answer, click on the Cultivars and Germplasm heading

10. Grapes to grow in my area
And you’ll see lists of links in alphabetical order by publication name. FYI – in Missouri we grow French-American hybrid grapes, not the Vitis vinifera that are grown in Europe and out West; the Easter US has too extreme weather for V. vinifera.
Note there’s an applicable guide here from Missouri State – click on it…

11. Grapes to grow in my area

12. Starting a vineyard
Next question was how to start a vineyard; go back to the TOC page and under Vineyard Management are the ‘cultural’ links of growing grapes.

13. Starting a vineyard
You can see there are links to establishment documents under vineyard practices, and there are more in home production.
Organic production is here if you need info about organic production…

14. Cost of establishment
The cost of establishment is a big deal breaker in growing grapes commercially. Establishment costs are very high – the vines, trellis systems, irrigation, pesticide & fertilizer needs. There won’t be a decent grape harvest for 4-5 years because only mature grapevines produce significant numbers of grapes.
Further down the Viticulture Management page are links to the economics of vineyard start-up costs and needs. You can also see a link here under vineyard Practices to the Fruit Exp. Station publication on Growing Grapes in Missouri.

15. Cost of establishment
Further down the page is a link to this document, the Vineyard Business Plan Workbook, out of Southern Illinois University. – Very good in helping a person estimate costs of setting up a vineyard.

16. The best journals The scientist Home Grower
American Journal of Viticulture and Enology
Australian Journal of Grape & Wine Research
Home Grower
American Vineyard
American Fruit Grower
Wine East
The next category on the need to know list is the best journals –
All are held at Evans Library who honors ILL requests. Also…

17. The best journals
On the Vit site Viticulture-Publications is an extensive list on journals and newsletter; not all are full text, especially the scholarly ones, but this provides some indexing to articles and also a lot of newsletter and trade magazines that have articles online.

18. The best books
This is an ambiguous question and the answer depends on what the patron wants.
General information – look online
Have them look at the materials categorized on the AgNIC Viticulture site, as many general questions are covered in this format.

19. The best books Textbook information
Grape growing / Robert J. Weaver.
Viticulture, Vol. 2: Practices / edited by P.R. Dry and B.G. Coombe
A wine-grower's guide / by Philip M. Wagner.
All are available through MOBIUS; Evans Library, MSU-MG Campus

20. The best books-Classics
Scrolling down on the Vit site Viticulture-Publications page you’ll see the category Online books. These are classic works on grapegrowing and winemaking that have been digitized and are freely accessible online. The top one is Missouri’s famous grower George C. Husmann’s book, the Cultivation of he native grape.
Below that is the Foundations of American Grape culture by T. V. Munson, the famous grape breeder from Texas. And there are many others here.

21. Who to turn to with questions
Locally - Fruit Experiment Station, MSU Mountain Grove campus and the Paul Evans Library of Fruit Science
Online - Essentially, me, as I am the AgNIC Viticulture librarian – address is on the main Michigan State University AgNIC page
Group support- Wine Librarians Association – Librarians who work with viticulture and wine information on a regular basis (I’m a member)
Various lists – AgNIC Viticulture Page – Reference Tools – discussion lists
Locally - Paul Evans Library of Fruit Science in Mtn Grove has one of the very best grape & wine journal, book and proceedings collections in the Entire Midwest. It’s a lending library, MOBIUS and ILL.

22. Agriculture, Forestry and Botany Librarian Michigan State University
Thank you!!
Have a ‘grape’ day!!
Suzi Teghtmeyer
Agriculture, Forestry and Botany Librarian
Michigan State University