Gregory V. Jones


Gregory V. Jones is a research climatologist specializing in the climatology of viticulture, with a focus on how climate variation influences vine growth, wine production and the quality of wine produced. Jones serves as the Director of the Center for Wine Education and is Professor of Environmental Studies at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Previously he served as the Director of the Division of Business, Communication and the Environment at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon and was Professor in the University's Environmental Science and Policy Program.

Background

Gregory V. Jones obtained a BA and Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences with a concentration in the Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Virginia Department of Environmental Sciences. His dissertation described research in Bordeaux, France on the climatology of viticulture investigating the spatial differences in grapevine phenology, grape composition and yield, and how these are related to wine quality. Jones is best known for his research in climatology, meteorology, agriculture and hydrology; the phenology of plant systems; the interaction between biosphere and atmosphere; weather patterns and climate change; and quantitative methods in spatial and temporal analysis.
Jones has been invited to speak on climate and wine-related research at hundreds of regional, national and international conferences, and is a well-known applied research consultant to the grape and wine industry in Oregon. In 2014, Jones participated in a panel, A New World of Wine: How the Viticultural Map is Changing at the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine's 8th annual conference in Florence, Italy. Jones is a regular presenter at the biennial International Terroir Congress, most recently at the Xth International Terroir Congress in Tokaj-Eger, Hungary. As organizer in 2016, Jones brings the XIth International Terroir Congress to the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

Research

Jones' research focuses on the role of climate in the structure and characteristics of agricultural systems. As such he is interested in how climate influences whether a crop is suitable to a given region, how climate controls crop production and quality and ultimately drives economic sustainability. His main focus on climate's influence on agribusinesses is in viticulture and wine production where climate is arguably the most critical aspect in ripening fruit to optimum characteristics to produce a given wine style. Jones examines climate's role in growing wine grapes and wine production from a holistic perspective trying to understand 1) the weather and climate structure necessary for optimum quality and production characteristics, 2) the climate suitability to different wine grape cultivars, 3) the climate's variability in wine producing regions, and 4) the influence of climate change on the structure, suitability, and variability of climate.
Jones' research has been described and his expertise noted in wine trade publications and websites including: Wine & Spirits magazine, The Oregonian newspaper, Southern Oregon Wine Scene Magazine, Great Northwest Wine, Slate.com, Vine2Wine, Wine-Searcher, Willamette Week newspaper, Wines and Vines magazine, and the Mail Tribune newspaper.

Professional affiliations and service

In 2016, Gregory V. Jones was named Honorary Confrade with the Rank of Infanção by the Confraria do Vinho do Porto for his work with the Portuguese wine industry.
Jones was included as one of Wine Business Monthly's Top 50 Wine Industry Leaders for 2016 and 2017.
In 1998 and 2004 Jones was awarded a Prix Local by the Vineyard Data Quantification Society, an international organization of economists in service to vine and wine.
Jones contributed to the 4th IPCC Assessment Report for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which shared a 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.
Decanter Magazine named Jones to its 2009 Power List, counting him among the top fifty influencers in the wine world, and IntoWine.com included Jones in their top one hundred most influential people in the US wine industry in 2012 and 2013.
Jones was also named Oregon Wine Press's 2009 Wine Person of the Year, has been featured in the Linfield College History of Wine Archives, and is included in the Southern Oregon University's Hannon Library's Wine of Southern Oregon Digital Archives.

Selected publications

Jones is the author of numerous book chapters, reports, and journal articles covering topics of climate, soil, phenology, economics, and sustainability as they pertain to viticulture and wine production. Book contributions include chapters in:
Jones' writing has been published in major scientific journals. Selected publications are cited below.