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September 9, 2002
CONTACT: Linda McCandless, llm3@cornell.edu,
315-787-2417
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Hans Justrich |
GENEVA, NY: Hans Justrich brought his family nearly 4,000 miles from their home in Malans, Switzerland, to Geneva, NY, to become Cornell University's first extension enologist. In his words: "I needed a challenge." For the second-generation wine maker, who began working in Thomas Henick-Kling's lab at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY, on July 25, that challenge is embodied in a new country, new people, new grape varieties, and a new climate.
"We're lucky to find someone with his expertise and experience," said enologist Henick-Kling, who directs the Vinification and Brewing Technology Lab where Justrich will also be working. "Hans has a wonderful background in wine making, experience with small and large wineries, and familiarity with the varieties of grapes that are economically important to New York."
Justrich's enthusiasm for his work is readily apparent. "Wine making is great-it's an art and a way of life," he said. "Every year is a new challenge and a new experience."
This attitude, according to Ben Gavitt, a research support specialist in Henick-Kling's lab who manages the New York State Wine Analytical Lab, makes Justrich well suited to the position. "He has the perfect personality for this job," said Gavitt, who will be working closely with Justrich to test samples brought in from New York wineries.
Justrich's role is to bring more of the benefits of the world-class research that goes on at the Experiment Station to the New York wine industry. Dedicated to extension, he will be able to visit some of the many wineries that take advantage of the Wine Analytical Lab.
Justrich said he looks forward to working with New York's wine makers and vintners. "It's a beautiful facility with good equipment and nice people. I met some of the wine makers and they were very interested and open minded," he added. "We don't grow Cabernet in Malans, so I'm looking forward to working with that variety in New York."
Before coming to Cornell, Justrich consulted with grape growers and wine makers in Graubunden for 18 years, disseminating information and organizing wine tastings and workshops. Previous to that, he worked for a research station in plant pathology in Zurich, Switzerland, and at a winery in California. He earned his advanced degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology-Zurich in 1979.
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