OENOLOGY 7028WT - Introductory Winemaking

The course provides an introduction to modern wine production through the perspective of the Australian wine industry. Introductory topics in grape and wine chemistry are described, including acidity and the impacts of grape and wine acids in winemaking, sulphur dioxide and its uses in winemaking, phenolic compounds and their role in wine composition, and the effects of oxidation upon wine during maturation. All aspects of wine production including harvest, fruit processing, white and red vinification techniques, and alcoholic and malolactic fermentation are described. The principles and practice of processes to stabilise and clarify juices and wines are introduced. Practical activities during the course include an introduction to the techniques of basic chemical and microbiological analysis of grape juice, fermenting musts and final wines, management of a small-scale fermentation under defined conditions, and a visit to a commercial winery.