Biography
Dr. Alec Levin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University, and the Director and Viticulturist at the Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center (SOREC). He also is a core faculty member of the Oregon Wine Research Institute and serves on the board of directors of the American Society of Enology and Viticulture.
Dr. Levin completed his Ph.D. in Horticulture and Agronomy at UC-Davis investigating physiological differences in drought responses among several red wine grape cultivars. Since 2016, he has been leading the Southern Oregon viticulture research and extension program at SOREC, located in the heart of the Rogue Valley near Medford, OR. Dr. Levin conducts applied viticultural research focused on the fields of grapevine water relations and ecophysiology, and vineyard irrigation and nutrition management. In March 2023, he was appointed as SOREC Director.
Dr. Levin’s applied research program focuses on understanding the physiology of grapevines (with foci on plant water relations, carbohydrate metabolism, and fruit ripening biochemistry), and applying that knowledge to improve vineyard management practices in the context of enhancing the economic and sustainable production of wine grapes. Current research projects include: (1) determine impacts of wildfire smoke exposure on grape berry physiology and develop mitigation strategies; (2) determine optimal irrigation initiation time using fruit quality thresholds; (3) characterize grapevine rootstock effects on grapevine mineral nutrition; (4) refinement of cultural practices to lessen negative impacts of Grapevine Red Blotch Disease; (5) research and demonstration vineyard development at SOREC.
