VIEN 4650 - Wine Microbiology

Fall. 3 credits. Letter grades only.

Prerequisite: general microbiology lecture and laboratory, organic chemistry, biochemistry. Knowledge of wine production is recommended but not required. Co-meets with VIEN 5650.

P. Gibney.

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).

Outcome 1: Identify the different microbes present during wine production, and describe the positive or negative biological roles that they play during wine production, including stuck/sluggish/spoiled fermentations.

Outcome 2: Summarize practically relevant aspects of wine microbiology and evaluate microbial issues in wine production.

Outcome 3: Explain routine microbiological techniques useful in a winery.

Outcome 4: Develop independent research projects related to the roles of microbes in the winery, including designing and executing experiments to rigorously test hypotheses and/or explore wine microbiology-related topics.