Tremain Hatch named Virginia Vineyards Association’s Grower of the Year

The Virginia Vineyards Association recently honored Tremain Hatch M.S. ’10, a respected viticulturist, educator, and researcher, as its Grower of the Year.

The award recognizes Hatch’s work to advance the commonwealth’s wine grape industry through viticulture research, both in his role as a research associate at Virginia Tech’s Alson H. Smith Jr.  Agricultural Research and Extension Center (AREC), and as a viticulturist at his family’s Zephaniah Farm Vineyard.

The Virginia Vineyards Association honors one of its members annually with the annual Grower of the Year Award. Recipients are active participants in the Virginia viticulture community with a track record of commitment and service to the industry.

“Congratulations to Tremain Hatch on being named the Virginia Vineyards Association’s Grower of the Year,” said Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr, who presented the award at the Virginia Vineyards Association’s annual Winter Technical Meeting. “He has been involved in the industry since he was a teenager and has become one of the most respected viticulturists in the state. His determination and drive have helped Virginia’s wine industry to thrive and become a tremendous economic driver for the commonwealth.”

AJ Greely, president of the Virginia Vineyards Association, said that Hatch has been a reliable resource for the entire industry.

“From his work at Virginia Tech to his participation as a member of the Sentinel data collection and analysis project to the assistance he provides at each of our technical meetings, Tremain has put his stamp on the Virginia viticulture industry,” Greely said. “Not only is he a standout for his work at Zephaniah but having him in our industry is a benefit for all of us. He is more than deserving of this award.”

Tony Wolf, a renowned viticulturist at Virginia Tech who was a driving force in the Virginia wine industry for more than 35 years, hired Tremain twice: once as a field and lab assistant prior to his acceptance in the graduate program at Virginia Tech, and again as a viticulture research and Virginia Cooperative Extension associate after he completed the master’s program.

“Tremain has the perfect combination of excellent work ethic, viticultural knowledge, and personal demeanor that makes him an excellent Extension educator,” Wolf said. “Tremain knows how to grow high-quality grapes, and he is more than willing to share that knowledge with others. He is entirely deserving of the prestigious Grower of the Year Award.”

Hatch got his start in the viticultural industry as a high school senior in 2002, when he helped plant the first acre of vines on his family’s 400-acre farm in Loudoun County. Zephaniah’s vineyard has since grown to 10 acres with 18 grape varieties.

In 2010, when Hatch earned his master’s degree from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, he became a viticulture Extension associate at the Alson H. Smith Jr. AREC in Winchester, where his responsibilities have included vineyard troubleshooting, site evaluation, and responding to requests from growers and aspiring growers for viticultural assistance. Now, his research focuses on evaluating protective culture in vineyards and seedless table grape evaluations.

Mizuho Nita, an assistant professor at the AREC, said, “I've known Tremain since I joined Virginia Tech in 2009, and his expertise in viticulture and vineyard operations has been incredibly helpful in many Extension-related projects.”

Last year, Nita said, Hatch accompanied him on a trip to Japan where they held seminars, workshops, a Virginia wine-tasting session, and a dozen in-field consultations. “We had the opportunity to interact with more than 200 growers in three weeks,” he said. “As a result, Tremain is now a well-known viticulturist in Japan, too.”