References (scroll down to locate choice)

Pierre Galet  Leading French ampelographer of the 20th Century. Author of
the monumental 3500 page Cepage et vignobles de France. His book A
Practical Ampelography (stuffed full of great pictures, prints and drawings) is
available in an excellent English translation by Lucie Morton, herself a
renowned grape authority and consultant. Although sadly out of print, it can
still be found on Ebay for several hundred dollars, at which price it should be
purchased by all serious grape growers.

Thomas V. Munson The most prominent, amazing, and influential viticulturist
of the 19th Century (or any century for that matter). He was simply obsessed
with grapes vines and spent his life observing them in the wild as well as
breeding them at his home in Denison, Texas. He traveled over 50,000
miles looking for vines in all 48 states. Although few of his crosses are of
commercial importance today, he should best be remembered as the
consummate empirical scientific observer of the wild grape forest prime evil.
No one could duplicate his work today.

New York State Agricultural Experimental Station in Geneva Since its
founding in 1880 it has been the citadel of grape research, breeding, and
experimentation in the eastern US. In the early years efforts were naturally
concentrated on Labruscas, but the station later on also gave us Chardonel,
Traminette and many others. A fount of knowledge and assistance in all
areas of viticulture.

Vitis Cinerea  For complete professional descriptions of this, and other
species of grapes, go to the Morton translation of Pierre Galet's A Practical
Ampelography. We have found that most, if not all, descriptions found on the
web, (especially with free amateur encyclopediae), are unscholarly, and
inaccurate. For raw technical data go to:  "http://plants.usda.gov" ... type in
search words "Vitis Cinerea".

Philip Wagner Editor of the Baltimore Sun for many years and renowned
grape grower, winemaker and nurseryman. Wagner was almost single
handedly responsible for the reactivation of the wine industry in the eastern
United States through his writings and his nursery which at the time was
almost the sole source for French Hybrid grape vines which were the only
alternative to the Vitis Labrusca vines that dominated the east. Truly a
gentleman and scholar and if there were Viticultural saints he would have
been canonized long ago.
DVR - References