Hans Walter-Peterson is a Senior Extension Associate with Cornell Cooperative Extension, responsible for viticulture extension in the Finger Lakes region of New York. He conducts applied research and advises the region’s grape growers on a wide range of topics such as pest management, vine health and productivity, digital viticulture, soil health, and much more. Prior to joining the Finger Lakes Grape Program in 2007, he was the viticulture extension specialist for the Lake Erie Regional Grape Program in Fredonia, NY for six years. In recognition of his research and extension work on behalf of the industry, he received the ‘Research Award’ from the New York Wine & Grape Foundation in 2020.

Hans received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN in 1990, and his Master’s degree in Viticulture from the University of California – Davis in 2001. He is currently working on his Ph.D. in viticulture at Cornell University.