Wine / Enology Grape Chemistry Group

Enology Notes #135

Enology Notes #135, September 12, 2007

To: Regional Wine Producers

From: Bruce Zoecklein, Head, Enology-Grape Chemistry Group, Virginia Tech

Subjects Discussed in this Enology Notes:

1. New Enology Notes Format
2. Factors Impacting Sulfur-Like Off Odors in Wine, and Winery Options
3. France Trip, November 26 – December 5, 2007
4. Juice and Wine Analysis Short Course, January 9 – 10, 2008
5. Issues in Winery Layout and Design Workshop, March 7, 2008
 
1. New Enology Notes Format. Due to formatting concerns, we will be using Adobe Acrobat for future issues of Enology Notes. Our publication will arrive in the same way in your email, but there will be an attached pdf file in the future. The subjects included in the pdf file will be listed at the top of the page and in your email.

Please check to make sure that your email program does not automatically filter out messages with attachments.

Adobe Acrobat Reader, enabling you to read the pdf file, can be downloaded free of charge at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html.

Please adjust your e-mail filters to allow Enology Notes through. Enology Notes is e-mailed from Bruce Zoecklein ( ). Additionally, the e-mail address may also need to be unblocked.

We receive “blocked email” messages, requiring a response in order to get through. Because of the number of subscribers, we are unable to respond.

Occasionally we receive message statements indicating that Enology Notes is perceived as junk email. You must contact your system administrator to correct this error and to be able to receive these communications.

Note – we will continue to post all Enology Notes online on our website for viewing, using your web browser, at www.vtwines.info.

2. Factors Impacting Sulfur-Like Off Odors in Wine, and Winery Options. This complete presentation is posted online at www.vtwines.info. Click On-Line Publications, then Sulfur-Like Off Odors in Wines.

3. France Trip, November 26 – December 5, 2007. There is space available for the France wine study tour, hosted by Pascal Duran and Bruce Zoecklein. This study tour, designed for industry grapegrowers and winemakers, will visit Languedoc, Listel, the Montagne Ste Victoire, Provence, Nice, and the equipment show in Montpellier (SITEVI 2007, info at www.sitevi.com). For more details, see Enology Notes #134 at www.vtwines.info. To date, we have conducted four trips to various regions of France. For an example of a previous French wine study tour, including technical write-ups for each visit, look on the Enology-Grape Chemistry Group website under 2002 France Trip or under Enology Notes index.

4. Juice and Wine Analysis Short Course, January 9 – 10, 2008. The Enology-Grape Chemistry Group will offer a two-day juice and wine analysis short course January 9-10, 2008. This program will be a hands-on, practically oriented laboratory course conducted in the Food Science and Technology Building at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

The program will include the following:

  • The winery laboratory
  • Good laboratory practices
  • Fruit processing basics
  • Maturity indices
  • pH basics
  • Titration and titratable acidity
  • Fermentable nitrogen
  • Sugars
  • Alcohol
  • Protein stability
  • Bitartrate stability
  • Organic acids
  • Volatile acidity
  • Sulfur dioxide  
  • Sulfur-like off odor
  • Dissolved oxygen
  • Sensory evaluation exercises

Registration is limited to 16 wine industry members or prospective members. Enrollment will be granted on a first come, first serve basis. Registration information will be provided in the next edition of Enology Notes.

5. Issues in Winery Layout and Design Workshop, March 7, 2008. Dr. Bruce Zoecklein will coordinate a one-day workshop on Issues in Winery Layout and Design, as part of the 2008 Wineries Unlimited program, just outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The program includes architects, building designers, and engineers from around the country. The program will cover practical topics of interest to those establishing a new winery, or expanding an existing facility, and will include the following: winery design considerations, examples of winery designs, integration of winery processing equipment, winery energy efficiencies, and green winery design components including caves, solar energy, and other sustainable features.

Additional information is available in Enology Notes #134.  Registration will be available soon at the Wineries Unlimited website at www.vwm-online.com/wu.

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Dr. Bruce Zoecklein
Professor and Enology Specialist Head Enology-Grape Chemistry Group
Department of Food Science and Technology, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg VA 24061
Enology-Grape Chemistry Group Web address: http://www.vtwines.info/
Phone: (540) 231-5325
Fax: (540) 231-9293
Cell phone: 540-998-9025
Email: