Those attending the course will have the opportunity to observe the usage of small-scale winemaking equipment, as well as taste wines that were produced on small scale. Course participants will also taste wines made with different wine treatments and receive a comprehensive set of notes.
Different winemaking processes, such as different grape cultivars, ripeness and quality parameters of grapes, processing of grapes, alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation, racking of wine, fining and ageing of wine and bottling of wine will all be dealt with in the course, with the focus on garagiste volume production. At the end of the course participants will be able to produce wine at home on small scale.
Each attendee will receive the following as part of the course:
- Comprehensive set of notes (either English or Afrikaans)
- List of companies selling small-scale winemaking equipment
- University of Stellenbosch Certificate: NQF level 6
- Bottle of wine that the attendee has bottled
- Refreshments during the course
- Semi-formal dinner with a cheese & wine tasting on Saturday night
- All wine tastings
Course content
- Different grape cultivars and characteristics
- Ripeness and quality parameters of grapes and harvesting of grapes
- Crushing, de-stemming, pressing and juice treatments
- Alcoholic fermentation
- Skin contact in red wine and different colour extraction methods
- Malolactic fermentation
- Racking of wine
- Fining of wine
- Ageing of wine in oak barrels and alternative oak products
- Stabilisation and filtration of wine
- Sparkling wine, semi- sweet and noble late harvest wine production garagiste style
- Port production garagiste style
- Bottling of wine
- Additives that can be added to wine
- Problems that can arise in small-scale winemaking and how to solve them
- Wine tests that can be done at home
- Equipment used in small-scale winemaking
- Suppliers of small-scale winemaking equipment
Contact professor Wessel du Toit (wdutoit@sun.ac.za) if you are interested to register.