The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University will host the 2022 Wine Grape Field Day on Wednesday, July 27. This field day is offered to grape growers and winemakers, extension personnel and nonprofit organizations. The field day will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature two separate sessions.
The morning session will be hosted in the vineyard at Iowa State University’s Horticulture Research Station, while the afternoon session will take place in the Food Sciences Building on the Iowa State University campus. The event is free; however, admission will be capped at 20 participants and registration is required. Lunch will be provided.
The field day will feature Iowa State University faculty as well as ISU Extension and Outreach specialists from the horticulture and food science and human nutrition departments. Additional partners include the Horticulture Research Station and the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute.
The morning session, which will run from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., will feature various demonstrations on grapevine management including a discussion of trellis systems, canopy management, pest and disease control and basic, hands-on chemistry analysis of grape maturity.
Following lunch, the afternoon will feature a discussion of winery equipment and the first steps of winemaking after harvest, including a demonstration of destemming and crushing, followed by a presentation of must adjustments. The afternoon session will be from 2-4 p.m. and will conclude with a tasting of a current wine research project.
Iowa State University’s Horticulture Research Station is located at 55519 170th St., Ames, and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is located at 536 Farm House Lane, Ames. Participants are invited to register for the full day, or for only the morning or afternoon sessions, with or without lunch.
Register for free online. For more information, contact Aude Watrelot, assistant professor of enology in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State, at 515-294-0343 or watrelot@iastate.edu.