Harold P. Olmo, whose adventurous determination to better understand the genetics of grape vines earned him the sobriquet "the Indiana Jones of viticulture," is dead at age 96.
Mr. Olmo, emeritus professor of viticulture at UC Davis, died in a Davis convalescent home Friday of complications from a fall in which he fractured a hip last month.
"He's probably the most important viticulturist we've ever had in the United States," said Sacramento grocer Darrell Corti.
A native San Franciscan, Mr. Olmo joined the department of viticulture and enology at UC Davis in 1931 after earning a bachelor's degree in horticulture at UC Berkeley and Davis.
Though he retired as professor of viticulture in 1977, he kept an office on campus until four years ago, and continued research until just before his death.
There's more at http://www.sacbee.com/content/news/obit ... 4386c.html
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Mike