Albert Julius Winkler (4 March 1894, in The Grove, Texas – 29 August 1989, in Woodland, California) was an American professor of

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...

and one of its leading authorities.photostatic reproduction of obituary
/ref> His name is famous for the Winkler index, developed with

Maynard Amerine Maynard Andrew Amerine (1911–1998) was a pioneering researcher in the cultivation, fermentation, and sensory evaluation of wine. His academic work at the University of California at Davis is recognized internationally. His 16 books and some ...

Biography

Winkler grew up on a farm in Texas. He was the youngest child among 8 boys and 2 girls. Both of his parents were born in Germany, but they were married in the United States. His family made a 50-gallon barrel of wine each year. He graduated in 1918 with a bachelor's degree in plant physiology from the University of Texas and then served briefly in the U.S. Army as a lieutenant. He graduated in 1918 with an M.A. from the University of Missouri and in 1921 with a Ph.D. in pomology and plant physiology from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. In 1921 Winkler joined the faculty of the

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...

(UC Davis) as an associate in viticulture at the University of California Agricultural Experiment Station at the University Farm, Davis. He became a full professor of viticulture in 1937 and chaired the department of viticulture and enology from 1935 to 1957. He retired as professor emeritus in 1963. He oversaw the development of the department at UC Davis into a leading center of research and education. His research and work with growers contributed considerably to the growth of California's wine and grape industry. Winkler's book ''General Viticulture'' (1st edition 1962, several later editions) became an international classic and is perhaps his greatest contribution to viticulture. The book has been translated into Spanish, Italian, Greek, Hindi, and Russian. In 1919 he married Viola Lilly Pearl Buehrer (known as "Pearl", b. 1896). After 69 years of marriage she died in 1988. Upon his death in 1989 he was survived by 2 daughters, 5 grandchildren, and 8 great grandsons.

Awards and honors

* 1925 — elected a Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

* 1953–1954 — President of the

American Society for Enology and Viticulture The American Society for Enology and Viticulture, founded in 1950, is a non-profit, scientific wine production industry organization headquartered in Davis, California. Its membership of 2,400 includes professionals from wineries, vineyards, aca ...

* 1954 — Silver Medal Award of Accademia Italiano della Vite e del Vino

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Winkler, Albert J. 1894 births 1989 deaths American viticulturists People from Coryell County, Texas Oenologists University of Texas alumni University of Missouri alumni UC Berkeley College of Natural Resources alumni University of California, Davis faculty Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science