Alex is a Virginia-licensed and nationally certified professional soil scientist, a licensed Alternative Onsite Soil Evaluator (AOSE) and certified combined administrator in Virginia. He is a charter member and past president of the Virginia Association of Professional Soil Scientists. He worked for VA Tech on the National Cooperative Soil Survey program mapping soils extensively in five of the eastern physiographic provinces. During his tenure in Loudoun County Alex was in charge of interpreting soils for multiple uses related to planned development and agriculture for the county. He subsequently managed all the environmental programs for the county.

Soils are highly variable. Even within very short distances they can – and do – affect how vines grow and are managed. For the last 20 years Alex has worked with vineyard owners, other vineyard consultants, and both the Virginia Tech and Penn State cooperative extension services to assist in establishing vineyards in the best locations, landforms, and soils to ensure their success. Planting vineyard rows up and down the hills on steep slopes and the use of cover crops under the vines to control both growth and erosion are vineyard practices that he promoted.