EV 107 - Introduction to Viticulture and Enology

Credits: 4
LEC hours per week: 3
CLIN hours per week: 3
A survey of the different viticultural and winemaking practices employed in wine production during harvest. Emphasis on vineyard harvest operations including: maturity sampling, bird netting and fall harvest. Involves the vintage productions of wines sold at College Cellars. Basic sensory analysis of wines will be performed to begin the process of palate training.
Course Outcomes:

Identify and complete fall harvest vineyard operations including harvest maturity sampling and interpretation of grape chemical data.
List point-by-point the order of operations from harvest to barrel of the winemaking process.
Analyze previous vintages, choose sensory attributes in a particular wine, and develop and execute a wine production plan for both red and white wine.
Compare and contrast fruit processing techniques, i.e., oxidative vs reductive pressing for white grapes and destemming, foot stomping, and optical sorting for red wines.
Assess, identify, and remediate any fermentation-related issues.
Explain how a vineyard is prepared for the winter.
Recognize the grape cultivars and winemaking practices employed in the various wine producing regions of the world.

Course Topics:

The climate, history, and wines of the famous regions of France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Portugal
New world wine production and American Viticulture areas
Various winemaking styles: reds, whites, roses, sparkling, late harvest, port, sherry, Madeira, amarone, etc.