Grace Gardner

Grace is a grand valley native and plant enthusiast working as a viticulture research associate at the Western Colorado Research Center. While completing her bachelors degree in biology at Colorado Mesa University she participated in a vegetable production internship with the Community Alliance for Education and Hunger Relief. The experience introduced her to the incredible community supported by ag experiment stations, which prompted her return to WCRC Orchard Mesa station post-graduation in 2023. Her current position supports research conducted for the benefit of Colorado grape growers and vintners, including cultivar/rootstock, cold hardiness, and vineyard management projects.

Viticulture and Enology programs for the Colorado Wine Industry

• Multi-state evaluation of wine grape cultivars and clones
• New disease tolerant and cold-hardy cultivars
• 2017 Rootstock trial with Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2018 Rootstock trial with Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2019 Rootstock trial with Souzao in a challenging soil.
• Inter-planting with grafted vines
• Develop planting and maintenance practices for grafted vines that reduce management costs and vine losses due to cold temperature damage to the graft union – 2017 study
• Develop planting and maintenance practices for grafted vines that reduce management costs and vine losses due to cold temperature damage to the graft union – 2021 study
• Characterizing cold hardiness
• Vineyard floor management - soil health, fertility, and water requirements
• Vineyard floor management – evaluation of low-growing grass cultivars
• Evaluation of Agrivoltaics for grape production in Western Colorado

CSU Viticulture Research Report to CWIDB, July 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025 · PDF