Rocks, Climate, and Wine:  Terroir, the relationship between topography and vineyard temperature variations.

Kevin will discuss the unique influence Eastern Washington's basalt formations have on the region's climate and soil chemistry and their direct impact on the Columbia Basin's vineyards.

Originally from Lexington Kentucky, Kevin R. Pogue is a professor of geology at Whitman College in Walla Walla WA.

He received his B.S. in Geology from the University of Kentucky and an M.S. in Geology from Idaho State University.

At Idaho State, he studied the structural geology of the western part of the Idaho-Wyoming thrust belt. He continued his graduate studies at Oregon State University where he obtained his Ph.D.  Kevin concentrated on the stratigraphy, structural geology, and tectonics of the Himalayan thrust belt of northern Pakistan.

More recently, Kevin’s research has focused exclusively on terroir. Kevin has presented papers at national and international terroir conferences and recently authored a field trip guide that describes the geological influences on the terroir of the Columbia Basin.

In 2018, Kevin was the recipient of the Walter Clore Honorarium from the Washington State Wine Commission, for his service as an "ambassador, mentor, and champion of Washington Wines." He can frequently be found as the subject or a contributor in the popular press - such as the New York Times and NPR - as well as contributing to scientific journals. In 2019 Kevin was named one of "Wine's Most Inspiring People," by the Wine Industry Network Advisor.

He is a principal at VinTerra Consulting.