Photo courtesy of Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis Just by chance, we happened to meet Jeanne-Marie Olmo at a wine tasting event. She is the daughter of the late Dr. Harold Olmo (1909-2006), who was one of the world s foremost viticulture experts. Dr. Olmo taught at U.C. Davis from 1938 to 1977 and was internationally renowned for his grape breeding. He was an expert in ampelography (the art of grape identification), pioneered clonal selection, was a U.C. Berkeley graduate in genetics, Guggenheim Fellow and Fulbright Scholar. Basically, if you ve ever enjoyed a nice glass of California wine, you have Harold Olmo to thank. Talking with Jeanne-Marie, we learned that there was another side to Dr. Olmo s life that few people know of: the freewheeling adventurer in world viticulture. As a consultant to the United Nations for over 20 years, his travels led him to remote territory in Afghanistan and the Middle East. His exploits marked him as the Indiana Jones of enology. This interview with Jeanne-Marie Olmo, tells us why.
The California Wine Club Interview with Jeanne-Marie Olmo Uncorked: What is behind your dad s reputation as an adventurer? Studying grapes seems like a fairly dry occupation Jeanne-Marie: As part of a United Nations initiative, he would go to remote countries to study grape cultivation, to see what kind of grape industry was possible. I was in my thirties before I learned about his adventures. Though he would take the family with him, we never knew the details. When he went to Afghanistan, he dropped us off on the island of Madeira. He came back thin and exhausted after four months. Then, in a month, he took off again. Uncorked: What were some of his escapades? Jeanne-Marie: Just getting there could be hazardous. Typically, he would have a driver who would take him, and once, the car went off a hill. Nomads found dad, cared for him and brought him back. Another time, another driver hit a donkey and killed it. The driver ran off. The people arrested my dad, put him in jail (the town was so poor, it was a chicken coop!) with just bread and water. Offering them money did nothing. They wanted another donkey. He had no idea what would happen. Three days later, the driver showed up to pay for the donkey. But they didn t want money, they wanted a donkey! So when dad got to the consulate, he bought a donkey and had it delivered.
Uncorked: This was in the 1940s. Was Afghanistan as dangerous then as now? Jeanne-Marie: No, but there was some kind of war going on. Dad took photos of the Fertile Crescent before it was destroyed by the fighting. Years later, in the U.S., dad was supposed to have lunch with the Afghan ambassador. Dad had all the grapes and they were going to get cuttings for Afghanistan. Dad said the meeting was political, as he didn t think they had the infrastructure to keep the vines alive. Dad died before they met. If he hadn t saved those cuttings they would have been lost. They were disease resistant. They did so much to help the basic viticulture. He was for every winery and every grape grown. I m very proud of him. Uncorked: Did he travel with a translator? Jeanne-Marie: Most of the time dad was alone. He spoke five languages (he had an intensive background in Latin). He would be in a country for 20 minutes and be able to speak some of the language. And he was good at sign language!
Uncorked: Did your father mentor grape growers in foreign countries? Jeanne: Yes. I remember in Malta, they grew grapes by planting them like squash. He showed them how to grow the vines on a pole, then took a student from Malta back to the States and put him through a Masters course in viticulture. This enabled him to take his knowledge back to Malta. Dad really cared about those countries. Uncorked: Was your father well known among California winemakers? Jeanne-Marie: Absolutely. In 2004, there was an event in San Francisco honoring the postprohibition wine pioneers. The mean age was 85. Pete Seghesio came up and practically hugged me. If it wasn t for your father going around and telling us what grapes to have, we would never have sold our wines. Up to then, it was just reds and whites! That saved the wine industry; we could name our grapes! My dad said every grape seed was like a fingerprint. Uncorked: What did your dad think of this fame? Jeanne-Marie: Not much! In 1972, he was on the cover of the Wall Street Journal; they called him Mr. Grape. He didn t want to talk about it, and he was frustrated because he had to hire two secretaries to answer all the letters. I told my children to never forget the work your grandfather has done. Uncorked: What did Dr. Olmo do in retirement? Jeanne-Marie: He never stopped working. He died a month shy of 97. He patented his last grape at the age of 96. He would say he had too much to do to leave yet. As soon as one question was answered, he was off to another. He was a true pioneer.
Dr. Harold Olmo (1909-2006)