Course overview
Foundations of Wine Science aims to give students an understanding of basic viticultural, oenological and sensory principles and practices. Topics covered include grape varieties; grapevine structure and function; the annual growth cycle of the grapevine; the factors that influence crop yield; the grapevine source/sink balance; berry development and composition; wine classification; the unit operations involved in winemaking; the taste and olfactory system; and taste and aroma interactions. Practical sessions will focus on grapevine anatomy, variety identification and berry ripening, along with technical wine evaluation (i.e. training in the recognition and evaluation of different wine styles and their characteristic sensory attributes).
Course learning outcomes
- Describe the morphology, annual growth cycle and fruit development of the grapevine
- Understand the photosynthetic process and explain the influence of factors such as light and temperature on photosynthetic activity and grape composition, yield and quality
- Outline the processes involved in winemaking that occur before, during and after fermentation, and how these influence wine style and quality
- Differentiate the basic sensory processes, their application to technical wine evaluation and the sensory attributes characteristic of different wine styles
- Communicate the results of experimental data in written form
Degree list
The following degrees include this course