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CORNELL UN1VEKSITY AGRICULTURE & LIFE SCIENCES NEWS For Alumni and Friends of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Gifts to College Set Record 2 Gene Pierce '67 is president of Glenora Wine Cellars on the west shore of Seneca Lake. New York. He typifies the contribution ALS alumni have made to the wine industry across the Faculty Profile: Alice Pell 4 country, and he credits the College of .Agriculture and Life Sciences with much of the Students Work as Scientists 5 success of New York winemaking. Our feature article, which begins on page 1 examines 1990-91 Donor Roster 7 the affinity between the industry and the college, spotlights .ALS alumni in winemaking, Alumni Learn Leadership Skills 12 and discusses some current research on wine and health. Young Alumni Section 14 CORNELL UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURE & LIFE SCIENCES NEWS For Alumni and Friends of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Winter 1991 College Research Boosts Success of New York State Wine Industry „ ’•‘Or ’ ifteen years ago there were about 20 New York Wines High in wineries in New York State Today Cholesterol-Lowering there are 94 The nation's third largest winery, Canandaigua Wine Chemical Company, is located here, as is the nation's oldest, Brotherhood Winery, in the Two plant scientists from the Depart Hudson River Region, which began opera ment of Fruit and Vegetable Science Ftion in 1839. have identified a specific chemical in The slate's reputation (or producing wine they believe is responsible for low wines ol world-class quality Is on the rise as ering LDL-cholesterol. the type of blood New York champagnes, Chardonnays. cholesterol that can clog arteries and Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, Seyvals, and lead to heart disease Vignoles win gold, silver, and bronze med The chemical, resveratrol, is the same als in national and international competi natural compound that grapes use to tions. These winners come from tour major light lungal disease, say Leroy Creasy grape growing areas—Long Island, the '60. a pomologist and his assistant. Evan Hudson River Valley, the Finger Lakes, and Siemann '90 (Arts). along the shore ol Lake Erie The investigation of grape disease re In just one competition alone—last June’s sistance became medically interesting San Francisco Fair National Wine Com with the addition of Japanese and petition-New York wines took a dozen French research results Creasy and medals, among them a rare double gold. Siemann analyzed about 30 wines and Glenora Wine Cellars, 1988 Blanc de Blancs, found that some have almost 200 times a dry champagne, was deemed worthy of a more resveratrol than others, with red gold medal by every judge Wines made in wines tending to be higher. Red Bor New York State now sell in more than 50 deaux had the highest levels of countries. Worldwide sales of the 30 million resveratrol, while White Bordeaux had gallons New York produces annually Is in among the lowest levels. excess of $300 million. No one would have predicted such success even a decade ago. A watershed for the state’s wine industry was 1976. That year the New York State Legislature passed the Farm Winery Act- legislation that allowed wineries producing up to 50,000 gallons a year to sell any, or all. of their wine at retail price to the general public. Previously, a winery had to sell 95 percent of its production to distributors at what amounted to about hall the retail price. Under such a restriction only very Evaa Siemann 90 (Arts), l.ft, and large producers could make a profit. Creasy '60, right,use a spectrophotometer "The passage of the Farm Winery Act of j to analyze wine samples for a chemical that 1976 made it economically viable for small may reduce cholesterol. wineries to make the type of capital invest They also looked for .resveratrol In ment required to become established." says New York Wino offerings from Gene Pierce ’67 (Glenora) and Jim '67 and Carol Doolittle (Frontenac Point). Chardonnays (which are white wines) Gene Pierce '67. president of Glenora Wine and other wines from the Finger Lakes Cellars. Glenora was founded the following enology (wine making). "Many of those who came to Geneva in 1971 as a grape region of New York and from California year as one of the first small (arm wineries interested in furthering the industry were breeder and is now a professor of The New York Chardonnays had. on av to open in the wake of the act. Seventy-four alums, John Dyson among them," he says. viticulture. These grapes were primarily of erage, three times more resveratrol than more were to follow. (Dyson ’65 was state Commissioner of the native labrusca type—such as Concord, their West Coast counterparts "We sus This newly emerging group of Agriculture and Markets at that time ] "We Catawba, and Niagara—and were used lor pect the New York wines have higher winemakers looked for help in getting their knew the college’s strengths in fruit crop making juice or less expensive, often levels because the grapes are under businesses off the ground to the New York blended wines. “After the act," Pool says, much more disease pressure than In “the question became how to grow the best California. That means the New York grapes to make the best wine." plants have to produce more resveratrol Today more than 13 staff at Geneva con to fight off fungal Infections." Creasy hy “New York is probably growing the largest tribute to four major areas: pothesized number of grape varieties of any wine • Testing and breeding grape varieties best The scientists emphasize that al suited to New York's climate though the cholesterol-lowering effect Is growing region in the world." • Determining growing techniques that in clear, they do not recommend drinking crease yield and produce premium wines wine to lower cholesterol levels. "We think that proper diet and If necessary, State Agricultural Experiment Station at research and extension and went there for • Developing methods to prevent or con physician-prescribed medications, are Geneva, which is administered by the help The college responded " trol disease and insect problems. far more appropriate for people worried college. The station has the oldest grape "Prior to 1976 the name of the game was • Conducting research in wine microbiol about cholesterol than self-medication breeding program in the United States, and how to grow as many grapes as possible at ogy, aroma chemistry, and processing with wine." Creasy says. Pierce says It was the logical source of the least cost and still meet acceptable techniques to improve wine quality and expertise in viticulture (grape growing) and standards." says Robert M. Pool. Ph.D. '74. stability. Susan S Lang (Continued on page 2) Record Gifts Pledged to College The ALS Campaign Goes on the Road A message from Dean David Call This fall, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is bringing the Cornell campaign off-campus. In conjunction with the university. ALS Is kicking off a regional campaign to show alumni and friends how the college Is creating the CAMPAIGN REACHES HALFWAY MARK dous leadership that lias emerged from fac future. The regional campaign will unfold in three stages, adding more alumni in The fiscal year ending June 30.1991 was very ulty, alumni, and friends. To date. 70 faculty, cities and regions all over the country in the next three years. In September, I successful (or the College of Agriculture and 19emeritus faculty, and more t han 50alumni there were kickoff events for volunteers to find out more about the campaign, Life Sciences, thanks to the generous sup- and friends have volunteered to assist the meet alumni, and ask questions from the staff At press time, the following ALS |>ort of alumni, friends, and corporations. campaign as leaders and solicitors alumni have volunteered to be regional chairs: Private supixtrt reached an all-time high for With the announcement ol the campaign. Vice Chair. Regional Campaign the college, which helped supplement de Provost Emeritus W Keith Kennedy and Glenn Dallas '58 clining state and federal government fund- Daniel M Winch approached me with the Chuck Andola *65 Mid-Hudson 1 ing and provided sufficient resources for the Idea of establishing an ALS campus campaign Ruthann Aron '64 Washington D.C./ Baltimore college to maintain to|>quality teaching, re- that would raise $5 million from faculty and Al Beard '52 Binghamton. NY staff.Todate,overt! million has been raised ; search, and extension programs Bill Beriey '45 Metro New York [ Private support has also benefited inno The campus cain|>aign is now a vital part of Doug Brodie '55 North Country vative programs at the college, including the the ALS campaign, demonstrating the Robert (all '50 Rochester ; Personal Enterprise Program, the Cornell committment of those who work here to the | Internationa) Institute (or Food, Agriculture. continued excellence of our college. Tony Cashen '57 Capita! District and Development (CIIFAD). the Empire State A college-wide depart ment campaign also David Crockett '58 Northern California i Food and Agricultural Leadership Institute. has been launched. All departments have Bruce Earle '70 Philadelphia | and the new Center for the Environment. formed campaign committees that have Ron Ganeles '55 Metro New York-Nassau and West Suffolk counties I Alumni and friends have also established identified and ranked de|MirtmentaJ needs. Phil Griffen '57 Capital District I more than 300 endowment funds that pro Faculty members are in the process of con Jean Hentel '64 Mid-Hudson tacting alumni who hold graduate

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