FS 465/565 Wine Microbiology and Processing
The courses teaches an understanding of scientific and technical principles related to the processing of wines with an emphasis on microbiology during vinification. FS 465/565 stresses application of critical thinking skills to solve technological problems. Examinations feature students providing explanations for “scientific observations” using principles and theories taught in class. Students will be asked to write a critique of a refereed original research article of their choosing, an unique exercise requiring students to not only understand the underlying principles discussed in the article but to evaluate the strength and rigor of published research. Another technique used in lecture to improve particpation will be a “question, discussion, and answer” approach. Rather than directly providing answers to student asked questions, the instructor will ask the student(s) their professional view(s) and to logically work through the problem to arrive at a possible answer (frequently, there is more than one possible path to an answer). Though sometimes challenging, this strategy encourages critical thinking as opposed to the memorization of facts. Graduate students enroll in FS 565 and have additional assignments which include oral presentation of original research articles.
Making Wine as a Part of FS 466
Hands-on winemaking; application of chemical microbiological methods for wine analysis. Field trip required. Cooperative course taught jointly by WSU and UI.
FS 466/566 Wine Microbiology and Processing Laboratory
FS 466 is designed to assist in understanding material presented in the corresponding lecture (FS 465/565) by providing a hands-on approach to wine fermentations. The course will focus on familiarization with winemaking processes and equipment along with methods of chemical and microscopic analyses.
FS 496 Internship in a Winery
Students enrolled in this course work part- or full-time in a winery at regional, national, or international locations. Experiences should focus on commercial-scale winemaking including (but not limited to) grape quality evaluation and processing, fermentation, general laboratory analyses, finishing operations such as racking, fining, barrel aging, and bottling as well as exposure to the sale and marketing of wines. A minimum of 6 hours per week during the semester working at a winery is encouraged (absolute minimum of 90 hours total for the semester). While the responsibility to find a winery to work with belongs to the student, the instructor and other faculty will be available to assist.
Prior approval for a specific internship by instructor of the responsibilities and duties in support of a successful internship is required. Students and the industry supervisor must complete and sign the School of Food Science application form that is part of the syllabus.
Harvesting Grapes at WSU-IAREC (Prosser)
