Joseph Geller
Joseph Geller is a native of South Carolina, and calls the Southeast home. He earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of South Carolina, and a master of science in Viticulture and Enology from California State University Fresno.
Geller has over a decade of experience farming premium wine grapes across both western and eastern North America. He’s had the opportunity to work in multiple growing regions across California’s wine industry including Napa, Sonoma, Monterey, Paso Robles, and Santa Barbara. His eastern viticulture experience has spanned across Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with others, and in his free time serves as a faculty member for VESTA, an online grape and wine education program interacting with students from around the world.
Geller’s farming philosophy is simple, it starts from the ground up. He relies heavily on his knowledge of soil science to better understand the land he is farming and make the best decisions possible to achieve a premium quality product. Farming is all out adapting to the challenges of the season in front of you because every year is different.
Viticulturist, Dynamis Estate Wines
Email: gellerjp@gmail.com
Course(s):
VIN 111 - Introduction to Viticulture and Vineyard Establishment
VIN 214 - Spring Viticulture Technology
VIN 293 - Soils for Viticulture
Joseph Geller earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of South Carolina and a master of science in Viticulture and Enology from California State University Fresno.
Geller woked at Surry Community College beginning July 2014 as the Viticulture Instructor. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with others and providing students with professional expertise. Joseph currently works as the viticulturist for Trump Winery in Charlottesville, VA.
He enjoys SCC's VEN program because it is practical and hands on, which fits well with his teaching style. While a graduate research assistant at California State University Fresno, Geller managed a large-scale research project with a focus on mechanical canopy management. Previously, Geller served as a viticulturist at Treasury Wine Estates in the Napa, Sonoma, and California Central Coast regions. He also worked in production and sales at Idle Hour Winery in Oakhurst, California. His research and industry experience on the West Coast is being used to guide decisions on the SCC's teaching vineyard that he oversees.