SOREC Director and Viticulturist
alexander.levin [at] oregonstate.edu

Office: 541-930-8411

Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center

Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center 569 Hanley Rd

Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center

569 Hanley Rd

Central Point, OR 97502

My research focuses on understanding grapevine physiology - with foci on plant water relations, carbohydrate metabolism, and fruit ripening biochemistry - and applying that understanding to improve vineyard management practices while enhancing sustainable wine grape production. Current projects include:

Understanding negative impacts of wildfire smoke to grapevines and development of cultural practices for mitigation
Optimization of irrigation initiation timing using fruit and wine quality thresholds
Development of best management practices to mitigate negative impacts of Grapevine Red Blotch Disease
Refinement of wine grape crop coefficients for improved irrigation scheduling
Development of low-cost, automated, plant-based water stress sensor for grapevines
Establishment and maintenance of research and demonstration vineyards at SOREC

I am a core faculty member of the Oregon Wine Research Institute. The following video summarizes current OWRI research activities:

Alex Levin, Viticulturist

At OSU

Affiliated with:

Southern Oregon Exp Sta

Headquarters:

Experiment Station

Career Links:

Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center

Oregon Wine Research Institute

Department of Horticulture

Lab Group:

I accept graduate students for Horticulture

I can serve on graduate committees

Beyond OSU

Personal Links:

Levin Lab Instagram

SOREC Viticulture Facebook

Alec Levin Twitter

Biography

PRESENT

I am a viticulturist at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center (SOREC) and associate professor in the Department of Horticulture. I am also a core faculty member of the Oregon Wine Research Institute (OWRI), and serve as the chair of the Grape Genetics, Physiology and Management working group in the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Since 2016, I have been leading the Southern Oregon viticulture research and extension program at SOREC, located in the heart of the Rogue Valley near Medford, OR. I conduct applied viticultural research focused in the fields of grapevine water relations, ecophysiology, and vineyard irrigation management. My ultimate research goals are to develop sustainable vineyard management practices tailored to production goals. Prior to OSU, I completed my Ph.D. in Horticulture and Agronomy at UC-Davis investigating physiological differences in drought responses among numerous red wine grape cultivars.

WORDS TO LIVE BY

In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not. ~Benjamin Brewster (1882)

Professional Accomplishments

Curriculum Vitae:

20221028_levin_cv.pdf

My Awards

My Publications

Outreach and Extension

Extension Service Site Publications

(2023) Pinot leaf curl disorder Pinot leaf curl is a physiological disorder of wine grapes marked by characteristic foliar symptoms early in the season. It may be associated with prolonged cool temperatures and disruption of typical nitrogen metabolism in developing shoots.
(2022) Managing grapevines during a heat spike Oregon grape growers face challenges as the frequency and severity of extreme heat events increase due to climate change. Here's how grape growers can protect their crops during a heat wave.
(2021) Testing and Tracking the Spread of Grapevine Red Blotch Virus in Oregon Vineyards Grapevine red blotch virus (GRVB) is one of about 80 viruses infecting wine grapes worldwide. It may affect fruit ripening and thus impact the quality of finished wines. GRBV incidence increased from two to 10 times annually in the Willamette Valley and Southern Oregon vineyards sampled and studied from 2014 to 2016
(2018) Scheduling Irrigation with a Pressure Chamber Part 2 Step by step instruction on how to use a pressure chamber as a tool to help you schedule irrigation in wine grape vineyards. Dr. Alexander Levin walks through the steps of using a pressure chamber to measure leaf water potential and stem water potential.
Part 2 of 2
http://owri.oregonstate.edu
(2018) Scheduling Irrigation with a Pressure Chamber Part 1 How to use a pressure chamber as a tool to help you schedule irrigation in wine grape vineyards.
The two most important questions you need to
answer for irrigation scheduling are “How much?”
and “When?” The pressure chamber is an important
tool that can be used to determine when you should
irrigate.
Part 1 of 2
http://owri.oregonstate.edu
(2018) Alex Levin, Viticulturist Alex Levin is an assistant professor of viticulture with Oregon State University’s Department of Horticulture. He's also a core researcher with the Oregon Wine Research Institute at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center in the Rogue Valley. He works with vineyard managers who are growing grapes for this area’s booming wine industry. Southern Oregon is the fastest-growing wine grape producing area in the state.

Special Thanks to:
Bill Boggess, Executive Associate Dean, OSU College of Agricultural Sciences
Danielle Gabriel, inspiration for OWRI research video series

https://owri.oregonstate.edu/
(2018) How to monitor the water needs of grapevines with and without irrigation In most years, vineyards in Oregon start the season with a full soil water profile. As the season progresses, the soil dries out. Here's how to gauge a vineyard's water needs and methods for meeting them.
(2024) Field Monitoring for Leafroll Virus and Mealybug in Pacific Northwest Vineyards This publication focuses on in-field identification of signs and symptoms associated with grapevine leafroll-associated viruses and the insects that transmit them.
(2024) Trapping and Identifying Mealybugs in Oregon Vineyards Vineyard managers will learn how and why to trap vine mealybugs in vineyards.