Since winemaking is such a long-lived art form, it might be easy to cast it primarily as a wonder of nature—that grapes, in particular, are amazing on their own with but a little help from talented growers and viticulturists. However, wine enthusiasts today should be aware of those who have gone above and beyond the ability to tend a robust vineyard—somebody like the late Dr. Harold Olmo.

California wines, in particular, owe a great debt to Olmo, who first established a quarantine facility for the state. This facility allowed foreign vines to be imported and planted. By expanding the variety of vines available to California growers, the wine industry of the state was able to begin developing into the powerhouse it is today.

Olmo also created over 30 different varieties of grape, which are today known as Olmo grapes. The most famous of these include the Ruby Cabernet, Emerald Riesling, and Rubired varietals, as well as the Symphony grape, which took Olmo nearly 30 years to develop and is today the principal grape used in wines from Hawaii.

Viticulture remains a lively and exciting science, and there are surely new pioneers working on their own discoveries right now. Even if the details of that work doesn’t strike your interest, though, you can expect to enjoy the fruits—quite literally!—of their labors.