I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Cold Climate Viticulture

2. Course Prefix & Number:
VITI 1117

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 1

Lecture Hours: 1

4. Course Description:

This course offers a practical understanding of the obstacles and promise of growing grapes and making wine in cold climates. Topics relating to cold climate production include history, physical limits of grapes, successful varieties, viticulture, and enology methods for producing quality cold climate wine, the state of cold climate research, a review of resources, and marketing strategies in cold climate regions.

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, VIN 117, 1 credit
Highland C.C., VIN 117, 1 credit

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):

Viticulture AAS, Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Analyze and follow a sequence of operations	Explain methods of reducing malic acid and reducing pH during vinification.
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations	Interpret climate data.

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

• Demonstrate cold climate terminology;
• Define climate;
• Describe US continental climate;
• Interpret climate data;
• Summarize grape production across biomes;
• Describe how cold kills;
• Explain shoot versus bud tissue cold tolerance strategies;
• Relate manipulation of vine physiology to achieving maximum yields and cold hardiness;
• Relate energetic reserves to cold hardiness;
• Decipher vine health: genetic potential versus vine condition and climate;
• Explain: what is cold hardiness?
• Describe increased humidity leading to growth;
• Describe increased humidity leading to disease;
• Describe effects of high soil fertility;
• Describe aspect of sunlight in cold climate regions;
• Summarize grape pest occurrence in the continental climate;
• Understand the cold climate aspects and limits of vinifera, traditional cold climate grapes and new cold climate varieties;
• Understand the market evolution of what grapes are planted and what are desired in the young cold climate industry;
• Understand what climate grapes really like: the good and bad of the cold climate;
• Illustrate cold climate canopy management for fruit exposure to sun, successful trellis types, and reducing malic acid and pH in the vineyard;
• Relay strengths and weaknesses of wine types the cold climate can produce;
• Note where and what world class wines are being produced in cold climate regions;
• Decipher local public demand versus the breadth of cold climate wine potential;
• Review sugar/alcohol and fermentation process;
• Explain methods of reducing malic acid and reducing pH during vinification;
• Illustrate anthocyanins and tannins in cold climate reds;
• Describe the enology methods that are working, and common faults during vinification of cold climate wines;
• Describe the current state of research on cold climate grape and wine production;
• Refer to resources for the cold climate industry: newsletters, books, papers, workshops, labs for testing wines;
• Summarize how demand can be served and created in young cold climate markets;
• Analyze the market opportunities for wine-event centers versus quality wine that can stand alone;
• Review advantages and disadvantages of cooperative efforts toward standardization and regional marketing;
• Note successful quality control efforts and quality-seal labeling efforts in cold climate regions;
• Review potential and limits for market adaptability of vineyards and wine producers;
• List value added or secondary product opportunities for the cold climate industry; and
• Describe cold climate AVAs and their outcomes.

V. Topical Outline

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

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Climate
2. Cold climate terminology
3. US continental climate
4. Interpreting climate data
5. Grape production across biomes.
6. How cold kills
7. Shoot versus bud tissue cold tolerance strategies
8. Relate manipulation of vine physiology to achieving maximum yields and cold hardiness
9. Relate energetic reserves to cold hardiness
10. Decipher vine health: genetic potential versus vine condition and climate
11. What is cold hardiness?
12. Why does increased humidity leading to growth
13. Why does increased humidity leading to disease
14. Effects of high soil fertility
15. Aspect of sunlight in cold climate regions
16. Grape pest occurrence in the continental climate
17. Cold climate aspects and limits of vinifera, traditional cold climate grapes and new cold climate varieties
18. Market evolution of what grapes are planted and what are desired in the young cold climate industry
19. What climate grapes really like: the good and bad of the cold climate
20. Cold climate canopy management for fruit exposure to sun, successful trellis types, and reducing malic acid and pH in the vineyard
21. Relay strengths and weaknesses of wine types the cold climate can produce
22. Note where and what world class wines are being produced in cold climate regions
23. Local public demand versus the breadth of cold climate wine potential
24. Review sugar/alcohol and fermentation process
25. Methods of reducing malic acid and reducing pH during vinification
26. Anthocyanins and tannins in cold climate reds
27. Enology methods that are working, and common faults during vinification of cold climate wines
28. Current state of research on cold climate grape and wine production
29. Resources for the cold climate industry: newsletters, books, papers, workshops, labs for testing wines
30. How demand can be served and created in young cold climate markets
31. Analyze the market opportunities for wine-event centers versus quality wine that can stand alone
32. Advantages and disadvantages of cooperative efforts toward standardization and regional marketing
33. Note successful quality control efforts and quality-seal labeling efforts in cold climate regions
34. Potential and limits for market adaptability of vineyards and wine producers
35. Value added or secondary product opportunities for the cold climate industry
36. Cold climate AVAs and their outcomes