Webinar will share information to help guide winemakers when fermenting high pH musts.
SEATTLE (June 17, 2021) – Washington winemakers are invited to hear insights from recently completed research on fermentation and winemaking with high pH grapes during a one-hour webinar on July 14, 2021.
In winemaking, the pH of the grapes and must can affect microbial populations, fermentation rate, flavor and color. Washington’s red grape varieties often contain low amounts of malic acid and the musts have a high pH. In higher pH musts, there is potential for growth of spoilage bacteria. A better understanding of how wine pH affects the final wine composition can help winemakers produce high quality and consistent styles of wine.
Dr. Thomas Henick-Kling, director of Washington State University’s Viticulture and Enology Program, and co-investigator Dr. Hailan Piao, WSU research associate, evaluated various methods to adjust must pH and studied how effective starter culture additions are in managing microbial populations in wines of different pH. The three-year project was funded by Washington State University, the Auction of Washington Wines and all Washington State wine grape growers and wineries through the Washington State Wine Commission.
Henick-Kling will discuss practical methods that winemakers can use during fermentation to adjust grape must pH and the impact these winemaking decisions have on sensory profiles during the July 14 WAVEx webinar. Register for free here.
About WAVE and WAVEx:
Washington Advancements in Viticulture and Enology (WAVE) and WAVEx are a series of research seminars and webinars sponsored by the Washington State Wine Commission and Washington State University. WAVEx is the condensed, shorter webinar series. The events help make wine research findings more accessible to growers and wineries.
About the Washington State Wine Commission:
The Washington State Wine Commission (WSWC) represents every licensed winery and wine grape grower in Washington State. Guided by an appointed board, WSWC provides a marketing platform to raise positive awareness about the Washington wine industry and generate greater demand for its wines. Funded almost entirely by the industry through assessments based on grape and wine sales, WSWC is a state government agency, established by the legislature in 1987. To learn more, visit www.washingtonwine.org.
