Viticulture

Rick Hamman, Viticulturist, Mercer Estates

Rick is a 22- year veteran of the wine grape growing industry. Before joining Hogue Ranches and Mercer Estate Winery, he began his career in the early 1980′s by initiating and managing vineyard research trials at Colorado State University and by 1990 became the first state viticulturist for the developing Colorado wine industry. By April of 1999, Rick began working for Hogue Cellars as Senior Viticulturist and became director of the viticulture department in 2005, being responsible for 2100 acres, 45 growers and approximately 9500 tons of wine grapes.

Rick is currently the Viticulturist for Hogue Ranches and Mercer Estate Winery. He is responsible for coordinating the quality of 3300 tons of wine grapes delivered to Hogue Cellars and Mercer Estate Winery each year. His responsibility involves; grower relations, technical advice, database management, vineyard research and industry representation. Rick organizes, collects, and maintains vineyard and orchard data for 232 blocks (approximately 1300 acres) and provides the critical annual crop estimate and thinning recommendations. He is a key liaison between winery, managers and growers.

Rick earned a bachelors (1975) and a masters (1988) of science degrees in horticulture from Colorado State. He spent four years with the Peace Corps in Guatemala, developing training programs on basic farming techniques. He also served as extension viticulture specialist (1989) at Cornell University’s Long Island (NY) Horticulture Research Lab.

The Good Fruit Grower recently published an article that features Rick Hamman, “Overcoming Ripeness Challenges”