Viticulture and Oenology

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Educational level: this is a tertiary (university) resource.

Oenology,œnology, or enology is the science and study of all aspects of wine and wine-making except vine-growing and grape-harvesting, which is a subfield called viticulture. “Viticulture and oenology” is a common designation for training programmes and research centres that include both the “outdoors” and “indoors” aspects of wine production. An expert in the field of oenology is known as an oenologist.

Prerequisites

Early pressing of the grapes and storing wine

Physical Sciences

Life Sciences

Learning Materials

Texts

Oenology Lessons

Topic:Enology

Introduction to Wines

Survey of wine producing regions of the world; principles of wine production. Topics include grape growing, fermentation and stabilization of wine, application of sensory science to the evaluation of wine quality, health aspects, classification, regulation and marketing of wine.

Wine Chemistry

Sugars, acids, nitrogenous compounds in grape juice; antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of sulphur dioxide; must adjustments; biochemistry of alcoholic and malo-lactic fermentation; bitartrate and protein stability; fining agents; wine aging and phenolic oxidation.

Wine Processing and Equipment

Theory and operation of grape and wine processing equipment in commercial wineries, including crushers, presses, filters, pumps, tanks; winery layout; sanitation and waste water management.

Wine Microbiology

Identification and enumeration of indigenous micro-organisms in grape must. Alcoholic fermentation; metabolism of nitrogen compounds and organic acids; production of sulphur compounds; killer yeasts; malolactic fermentation; wine spoilage micro-organisms; genetic improvement of wine yeasts.

Viticulture Lessons

Topic:Viticulture

Grapevine Biology

Varieties, rootstocks, clones, physiology and biochemistry of grapevine growth and fruit maturation; soil science, winter hardiness; grapevine propagation.

Cultural Practices

Site selection, pruning, training, canopy management, crop control, mechanization, soil management and vineyard establishment.

Climate and Winegrape Production

Climatological aspects of winegrape production emphasizing selected wine regions of the world. Effects of climate, weather-related diseases, topography, soil and viticultural practices on winegrape production.

Introduction to Soil Science

Physical, chemical, biological and hydrological processes within the soil system, their interrelation and relation between these processes and the potential use of the soil.

Grape Pest Management

Biology and dynamics of grapevine pest activity - insects, diseases, weeds, nematodes, vertebrates. Integrated pest management approach looking at all aspects of control chemical, biological, cultural. Application techniques, pest identification and monitoring.

Assignments

Preliminary Study guide

Wikipedia article:w:Old_World_wine
Wikipedia article:w:New_World_wine
Wikipedia article:w:List_of_wine-producing_regions
Wikipedia article:w:Growing_region
Wikipedia article:w:Irrigation_in_viticulture
Wikipedia article:w:Wine_production
Wikipedia article:w:Stabilization_of_wine
Wikipedia article:w:Acetobacter
Wikipedia article:w:Wine_and_health
Wikipedia article:w:Wine_label
Wikipedia article:w:Wine_tasting
Wikipedia article:w:Wine_tasting_descriptors
Wikipedia article:w:Wine_history

Readings

Peruse the appropriate sections of Wine Making at home

Activities

Use these or these flashcards and quizzes

Viticulture

Take this Viticulture vocabulary quiz
Take this Viticulture quiz

Oenology

Take this Enology quiz
Take these as well

References

Additional helpful readings include: