WSC410 Wine Chemistry (8)

This subject is a study of the application of chemical principles to wine stability. Students will build on their knowledge of wine production and chemistry to develop their understanding of the underlying theory behind, and skills for, the use of wine fining agents such as bentonite, protein, PVPP, copper ion, blue-fining, and polysaccharides. Students will also learn about, and apply, other wine stabilisation procedures including cold stabilisation, ion-exchange processes, and the use of enzymes in winemaking.

Availability

* Offering has a residential school. Please view following information for further details.

Year-long Period 1 (31)
Online *
Wagga Wagga Campus

Continuing students should consult the SAL for current offering details: WSC410. Where differences exist between the Handbook and the SAL, the SAL should be taken as containing the correct subject offering details.

Subject Information

Grading System

HD/FL

Duration

One session

School

School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences

Enrolment Restrictions

Not available to students who have successfully completed WSC405.

Assumed Knowledge

(BIO118 or MCR101) and (WSC101 or WSC114 or WSC115)

Subject Relationships

WSC405 replaced by WSC410

Incompatible Subjects

WSC304, WSC405

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • be able to successfully use chemical principles to interpret and assess the impact of winemaking conditions on wine stability;
  • be able to evaluate how and why chemical principles influence the task of fining and stabilising wines;
  • be able to compare and contrast fining agents and interpret their performance; and
  • be able to evaluate the action of enzyme treatments used in winemaking, particularly enzymes of microbial origin.

Syllabus

This subject will cover the following topics:
  • Ionic and hydrogen-bonding interactions, and their application to protein stability, acidification, and bitartrate stability, lattice formation and solubility;
  • Grape and wine polysaccharide composition;
  • Pectolytic, glucanase and glycosidase enzyme action;
  • Other potential enzyme treatments;
  • Enzymes of microorganisms.

Residential School

This subject contains a 3 day Compulsory Residential School.

The three-day residential school is compulsory. It will require laboratory analysis, practical work in the University's experimental winery, and wine sensory assessment. This will develop the student's ability to formulate strategies to improve wine through fining processes and provide experience of the performance and interpretation of fining trials.


The residential school will also provide tutorials focusing on the subject fundamental concepts.

Special Resources

Students attending compulsory residential schools on Charles Sturt campuses will incur costs associated with travel, accommodation and required resources (minimum: lab coat, safety glasses and covered footwear for lab-based practicals).

The information contained in the CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: June 2022. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.

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