I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Molecular Principles in Grape and Wine

2. Course Prefix & Number:
VITI 1105

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 4

Lecture Hours: 4

4. Course Description:

This course puts emphasis on basic chemical fundamentals, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and their focused applications in the grape and wine industry.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Missouri State University, VIN 105, 3 credits
Highland Community College, Kansas, VIN 105, 3 credits

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

The Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA); Missouri State - West Plains; 2003

3. Prior Learning - the following prior learning methods are acceptable for this course:

• Military Experience
• Specialty Schools
• Written
• Oral
• Demonstration
• Portfolio

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Enology Diploma
Enology AAS Degree
Viticulture Diploma
Viticulture AAS Degree

 

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate oral communication skills	Explain the common winemaking elements.
Demonstrate written communication skills	Produce documents demonstrating chemical interactions.
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Analyse a solution to determine the potential alcohol of the resulting wine.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Describe the qualitative and quantitative tools of chemistry;
• Understand chemical structure;
• Define chemical bonding;
• Describe nomenclature, families, structure, and reactions of organic compounds;
• Define the major types of chemical reactions and quantitative methods of describing the mass relations in those reactions;
• Describe the physical properties of gases;
• Describe the interactions between molecules;
• Define the properties of solutions;
• Describe chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium; and
• Define acids, bases and buffers.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Qualitative and Quantitative Tools of Chemistry
• Characteristics of elements, compounds, and mixtures
• Metric system units and conversions to other systems
• Unit-conversion method in solving problems
• Mass, volume, density, temperature and heat and describe how they are measured
• Dalton’s atomic theory to explain the constant composition of matter and the conservation of mass in chemical reactions
• Atomic mass
• Main-group and transition elements; metals, nonmetals, and metalloids
• Arrangement of the periodic table with the electron configurations of the valence shells of the elements
• Octet rule
• Common Winemaking Elements; Elements in Grapes, Must and Wine
2. Chemical Structure
• Dalton’s atomic theory to explain the constant composition of matter and the conservation of mass in chemical reactions
• Atomic mass
• Main-group and transition elements; metals, nonmetals, and metalloids
• Arrangement of the periodic table with the electron configurations of the valence shells of the elements
• Octet rule
• Common Winemaking Elements; Elements in Grapes, Must and Wine
3. Chemical Bonding
• Ionic and covalent bonds
• Relation between the octet rule and the formation of ions
• Constructing the names of ionic compounds
• Constructing the names of covalent compounds
• Polar and nonpolar covalent bonds
• Winemaking Formulas in Daily Use
4. Nomenclature, families, structure, properties and reactions of organic compounds
• Families of organic compounds
• Structural formulas relevant organic compounds
• Fundamental organic reactions
• Carbonyl compounds – acid alydehyde, diacetyl, acetoin,
• Nitrogen compounds – amino acids, ammonia, proteins, biogenic amines
• Phenolic compounds – tannins, pigments, phenols
• TCA
• Aroma and spoilage chemistry – oxidation, browning, acetic acid
5. Major types of chemical reactions and quantitative methods of describing the mass relations in those reactions
• Calculating the formula mass of a compound
• Defining the mole
• Using the mole as a unit-conversion factor for converting mass into moles and moles into mass
• Calculating the molecular formulas of a compound
• Writing a chemical reaction as a balanced equation
• Alcohol – ethanol, methanol, glycerol, sorbitol, sugar to ethanol conversion (fermentation),
• Sulfur Dioxide
• Photo-oxidation and Light struck, pinking, browning
• Sugar conversion, Alcohol, and Sulfur Dioxide
6. Physical properties of gases
• Gas pressure and its units and describe how it is measured
• Gas laws’ quantitative descriptions of the physical behavior of gases
• Applying the appropriate gas laws to particular experimental conditions
• Determining the amount of gas dissolved in a liquid
• Oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide
7. Interactions between molecules
• Using molecular concepts to explain the properties of the three states of matter and transitions between them
• Correlating physical properties such as vapor pressure, normal boiling point, melting point, and surface tension with types of secondary forces
• Molecular characteristics necessary for solution formation
• Dynamic equilibrium
• Wine additives, sanitation solutions, laboratory solutions, fining material
8. Properties of Solutions
• How the formation of a solution depends on the molecular properties of the solute and solvent
• Quantitative definitions of concentration and use them as conversion factors in calculations
• Reasons and methods for preparing dilute solutions from concentrated solutions
• Diffusion and the characteristics of semi-permeable membranes from a molecular point of view
• Properties of macromolecules and colloidal solutions
• Soluble solids - sugars, pectins, extracts
• Chemical interactions – bentonite/protein, protein/tannin
• Heat Stability
• Chemical additives –  methyl cellulose, bentonite, pvpp
• Hard and soft water
• Cleaners/Sanitizers – surfactants, chelators, mycells, soap
9. Chemical kinetics and chemical equilibrium
• How the rates of chemical reactions are influenced by the concentration of reactants, the temperature, and the presence of catalysts
• How a chemical system reaches a state of dynamic equilibrium
• Le Chatelier’s principle
• Common enzymatic reactions in wine production and wine analysis
• Factors which affect enzymatic rates and how these are expressed
• Esters
• Copper sulfate
• Cold/heat stability
• Accelerated aging
10. Acids, bases and buffers
• Central role of water in acid-base chemistry
• Difference between strong and weak acids and strong and weak bases
• Using the ion-product of water to calculate hydronium ion and hydroxide ion concentrations
• pH and describe its use as a measure of acidity
• Basic physical properties of color
• Behavior of weak acids and bases in terms of chemical equilibria
• Using the Bronsted-Lowery theory to explain the properties of salts of weak acids and bases and of buffers
• How the concentrations of acids and bases are determined by titration
• Acidity and individual acids - total or titratable acidity, pH, buffer capacity, volatile acidity, fixed acidity, individual acids, malolactic
• Sulfur dioxide
• Sorbate
• Wine color, anthocynins