Geovine(TM)

Geovine™ is an interactive decision-support platform developed by the Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT) at Virginia Tech to help grape growers evaluate vineyard site suitability, monitor growing conditions, and make data-driven management decisions. Originally launched with funding from the Virginia Wine Board, Geovine™ was created to help Virginia’s viticulture industry analyze local climate, soil, and topographic data to optimize vineyard success.

Following its success in Virginia, Geovine™ was expanded to serve the State of Ohio, where it continues to evolve through new features, enhanced datasets, and real-time monitoring capabilities. While current funding supports Geovine™ for Ohio, CGIT remains committed to securing partnerships that would bring this valuable tool back to Virginia and extend it to additional grape-growing regions nationwide.

Purpose and Vision

The goal of Geovine™ is to provide a powerful yet accessible system that integrates climatology, soils, and elevation data into one cohesive platform. By modeling growing degree days, temperature thresholds, and precipitation trends, Geovine™ empowers growers to make informed decisions about varietal selection, vineyard site suitability, and management strategies—reducing risk and improving long-term sustainability.

Key Features

• Vineyard Site Suitability Modeling: Integrates temperature, precipitation, soil, and elevation data to determine ideal vineyard locations.

• Real-Time Data Updates: Incorporates near real-time climate information to track growing degree day (GDD) accumulation and seasonal progression.

• AVA Analysis Tool: Uses spatial statistics to identify areas with similar characteristics to existing American Viticultural Areas (AVAs) for future designation potential.

• User Accounts & Custom Reports: Allows growers to save vineyard sites, generate reports, and monitor phenological milestones such as budbreak, bloom, veraison, and harvest.

• High-Resolution Visualization: Utilizes datasets such as Daymet v4, SSURGO, and USGS 3DEP to create fine-scale environmental maps.

• Research Feedback Loop: Enables growers to submit observational data (e.g., pest presence or bloom timing) to improve regional model calibration.

Impact

With over 1,100 active users and 1,600 sessions annually, Geovine™ continues to support data-driven viticulture by transforming scientific data into practical insights. For growers, the platform provides both regional and site-specific decision-making tools that improve efficiency, reduce uncertainty, and strengthen the resilience of the grape and wine industry.

The expansion of Geovine™ to Ohio demonstrates the system’s adaptability and value to diverse growing regions. CGIT’s long-term vision is to reintroduce Geovine™ to Virginia and broaden its reach nationally, ensuring that more growers can benefit from advanced spatial and climatological analytics.

CGIT’s Role

CGIT leads all aspects of the project—including data modeling, spatial analysis, UX/UI design, and system maintenance. Using frameworks such as GitLab for version control and Monday.com for project tracking, CGIT ensures transparency, reliability, and ongoing performance improvements. The team continues to work closely with state partners to expand Geovine™’s functionality and maintain its position as a leading viticulture decision-support tool.

Explore the platform: Geovine™