Why Terroir Consulting?
Expertise
Our team spans from field to manufacturing facility to the places where wine and food are actually lived. We take into account not just how you farm, but whether you're producing the best product possible. We possess in-depth knowledge of sustainable farming practices and fermentation science, and we stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations to deliver cutting-edge solutions. Through Terroir Adventure Travel, we take that same expertise on the road, leading small-group immersive trips that explore how soil, climate, and culture shape what ends up in the glass.
Tailored solutions
We understand that every business, and every traveler, is unique. We develop customized strategies to suit your specific goals, budget, and timeline, ensuring optimal results for your business. Our travel experiences follow the same principle: groups capped at 8, itineraries we've personally tested, and local guides chosen for genuine knowledge rather than performance.
We have our eyes on the future
Our focus is not just on short-term gains, but also on building a resilient and prosperous future for your vineyard and winery. We help you implement practices that yield lasting benefits for your business and the environment. That long view extends to our travel work, where every trip is built to support the local guides, farmers, and families whose livelihoods depend on the places we visit.
Environmental stewardship
We are passionate about protecting the environment and promoting sustainable agriculture and food science practices. By partnering with us, you join a network of like-minded vineyard owners, winemakers, and travelers who share the commitment to preserving our planet. Our trips are designed so that money goes directly to the people who live there, not to large tour operators.
Collaborative partnership
We believe in building strong relationships with our clients based on open communication, trust, and collaboration. We work closely with you throughout the consulting process to achieve your desired outcomes. The same is true on the road. We travel with our clients as fellow researchers, not as tourists being managed.
Confidentiality and integrity
Your business information and proprietary processes are treated with the utmost confidentiality. We adhere to strict ethical standards and maintain the highest level of integrity in all our interactions, whether in your winery or on a trip halfway around the world.
Return on investment
Sustainable practices not only benefit the environment but also have a positive impact on your bottom line. By reducing input costs, increasing resource efficiency, and enhancing the reputation of your wines, sustainability becomes a driver of profitability. And for producers who want to understand their own terroir more deeply, there is no better investment than seeing how other regions have solved the same problems for centuries.
Megan Hall, Ph.D.
Dr. Megan Hall has worked in the wine industries in Oregon, Tasmania, New York, Missouri and California for over ten years. She started in the Vineyard Management program at Chemeketa Community College and then moved to the Finger Lakes region of New York, where she earned her Ph.D. in Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology at Cornell University, mentored by Dr. Wayne Wilcox.
She wrote the seminal paper on sour rot, and dove into the world of microbial terroir, microbe-insect interactions, and IPM strategies. From there, she became an Assistant Research Professor of Plant Science and the Viticulture Program Leader at the University of Missouri, followed by a move to E. & J. Gallo Winery, where she became the North Coast Viticulture Research Scientist in the Winegrowing Research division. She headed home to Oregon in 2023.
Megan's path into agriculture began in political science and sociology, and she has never stopped seeing wine and farming as human history made tangible. In 2024, after a trip to Egypt that reshaped how she thought about place, she founded Terroir Adventure Travel, which runs small-group immersive trips capped at eight travelers. Each itinerary is built on the same idea that drives her research: that soil, water, geology, and climate shape a region's agriculture, and its agriculture shapes its people. She personally tests every trip before offering it and works directly with local guides and producers so that the people who live there are the ones sharing their knowledge and receiving the benefit. The tagline says it plainly: travel like a researcher, experience like a local.
Megan is a licensed Pesticide Consultant (OR) and a Pest Control Advisor (CA).
Alex Fredrickson, Ph.D.
Dr. Alex Fredrickson is a fermentation expert and a winemaker, originally from eastern Washington. Both his Ph.D. from University of Missouri (Food Science and Technology) and Masters of Science from Cornell University (Food Science) focused on tannins in red wines.
He has worked in wine industries all over the world. As a Harvest Winemaker at Moorilla Winery in Tasmania, Australia, and a Harvest Assistant Winemaker at Duckhorn Wine Company (Canvasback) in Walla Walla, Washington, he gained hands-on experience in all aspects of winemaking, including blending, finishing, and cellar techniques. Additionally, his roles as a Harvest Intern at Church Road Winery in New Zealand and a North Coast Winemaking Intern at E&J Gallo Winery in Healdsburg, California, allowed him to contribute to critical winemaking decisions and develop his palate and technical skills. Alex started his own winery, Wicked Water, in Geneva, New York in 2016. Alex joined E&J Gallo Winery in Healdsburg, California, as a Research Scientist in 2020. He managed the Sonoma Research Winery, overseeing 75 tons with 2-ton ferments and a team of full-time and seasonal employees.
He headed home to the Pacific Northwest in 2023.