Food is essential for survival. Since the beginning, people have been interested in preserving food for later consumption. Overtime, many methods of food preservation have been tried. These include heating, freezing, drying, fermenting, and adding chemical preservatives. In recent years, the use of chemical preservatives has increased.
View PDFGrape juice must be fermented by the yeasts present on grapes and in the winery. This kind of fermentation is often called natural or spontaneous fermentation. Some winemakers rely on spontaneous (uninoculated) fermentation to gain flavor complexity and, consequently, higher wine quality.
View PDFTo identify grape cultivars adapted to Iowa, a cultivar by management system trial was established in 2002 at the ISU Horticulture Research Station (HRS) and the ISU Armstrong Research Farm (ARP) with the help of a grant from the Leopold Center of Sustainable Agriculture. (PDF)
View PDFTo assess the regional adaptation of wine grape cultivars to Iowa, a trial was established in 2003 through an Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) specialty crops grant awarded to the Iowa Wine Growers Association. (PDF)
View PDFGrapes are the most important raw material for making wine. A good understanding of grape composition is essential to understanding the process of winemaking and making better quality wine. Text by Murli Dharmadhikari, Iowa State University. (PDF)
View PDFWhat does the word port mean? Usually people will think of a glass of sweet red wine. Most will know that it has been fortified. Very simply, that is exactly what port is; usually a red wine that tastes sweet, that has had brandy added to it. However, port is much more than this simplistic definition. It is my desire to instill enthusiasm for the drink and educate as to its production.
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