Our new website launched this week! We’ve been working for quite some time to develop an updated site with easy navigation, useful information, and helpful resources for industry members. You’ll still find us at the same URL: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/wine/. We are […] Read Moreabout New Website Launch
Archive
Peruse the archives for articles on wine-related topics from past Institute newsletters, previous years reports on Native Iowa Wine Production and Sales, Iowa commercial winery and vineyard maps, and the complete collection of Winegrower news.
Development of a Signature Iowa Wine: Study Wrap-Up & Report
In 2019 the MGWII secured a grant from IDALS Specialty Crop Block Grant Program for the proposal entitled “Development of a Signature Iowa Wine: Identification of Consumer Preferred Cultivars and Styles.” The idea behind the grant was to collect data […] Read Moreabout Development of a Signature Iowa Wine: Study Wrap-Up & Report
Neutral-oak barrel fermentation improves protein stability in La Crescent wine
Goals La Crescent is a cold-hardy hybrid white wine grape bred for cold tolerance and disease resistance. As with many other North American hybrid cultivars, its high concentration of proteins leads to unwanted haze in wine. There is anecdotal evidence […] Read Moreabout Neutral-oak barrel fermentation improves protein stability in La Crescent wine
Using bentonite for improving red wine tannins content?
By Dr. Aude Watrelot In winemaking, the fining step, which corresponds to adding material(s) to the wine, is important to remove any undesired compounds from the wine. One issue observed in cold-hardy wines is the formation of haze in bottled […] Read Moreabout Using bentonite for improving red wine tannins content?
Ongoing Research: Enzymes
By Dr. Aude Watrelot Commercial enzymes are commonly used in winemaking to increase filtration, clarification, and juice yield, to improve wine aroma profile, mouthfeel, and color stability. In grapes, enzymes are present (polyphenol oxidase, laccases, etc.) but tend to be […] Read Moreabout Ongoing Research: Enzymes
Fermenting with Commercial Strains of Non-Saccharomyces Yeast
The dominant commercially available species of yeast responsible for alcoholic fermentation of wine is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. When discussing non-Saccharomyces yeast (term to group all other non-S. cerevisiae yeast found in wine), it’s typically with respect to their spoilage causing abilities. […] Read Moreabout Fermenting with Commercial Strains of Non-Saccharomyces Yeast