VIEN 5650

Wine Microbiology

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2023-2024.

We live in a microbial world: microbes are all around us affecting almost every aspect of our lives. This course focuses on the roles that microbes play in the production and spoilage of wine. Wine microbiology is a 3 credit course (2 lecture credits, 1 laboratory credit).

When Offered Fall.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: general microbiology lecture and laboratory, organic chemistry, biochemistry. Knowledge of wine production is recommended but not required.

• Identify the different microbes present during wine production, and describe the positive or negative roles that they play during wine production.
• Evaluate potential microbial issues with stuck/sluggish/spoiled fermentations.
• Describe classic and modern approaches used to understand the microbiology of wines.
• Explain and apply routine microbiological techniques useful in a winery.
• Develop independent research projects related to the roles of microbes in the winery, including designing and executing experiments to rigorously test hypotheses.

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