New Viticulture and Enology Faculty Announcement
Please join us in welcoming new Grayson College Viticulture and Enology Instructor Andy Allen to the Viking Family!
- What drew you to Grayson College?
“There are several aspects about Grayson College’s viticulture and enology program that attracted me. The viticulture and enology program at Grayson is well-known in the U.S. grape and wine community, just as T.V. Munson is well-known and respected in the world wine community for his work. I was also excited about the opportunity to become part of a team effort at the Munson Viticulture and Enology Center. There is also the fact that the Texas grape and wine industry and the college administration fully support the program, which is crucial for its success. And, of course, the program has a vineyard and teaching winery facilities, which is imperative if your mission is to educate and train grape growers and winemakers.”
- What are you looking forward to most in your new position?
“I most look forward to the opportunity to work with the growing Texas grape and wine industry. The industry people I’ve met in the short time I’ve been here are both very friendly and very enthusiastic about what they do.”
- Why is GC a good fit for you?
“I believe in active learning. The viticulture and enology program at Grayson takes a very practical, hands-on approach to teaching students how to grow grapes and produce wine from them. And this is why I consider the vineyard and teaching winery facilities to be so important. It helps reinforce the learning by taking the material and concepts given in lecture and demonstrating them in person and allowing the students to actually do these things themselves.”
- What do you want people to know about you?
“I’ve been working as a viticultural advisor and educator for 19 years, first as an Extension Viticulturist in North Carolina working primarily with vinifera grape varieties, then as Extension Viticulturist in Missouri working with native and hybrid varieties, before going to Arkansas to teach viticulture and enology. I have seen and dealt with a lot of vineyard issues over the years and have learned a lot from my experiences. I enjoy and have a lot of enthusiasm for teaching what I’ve learned to my students.”
