VESTA - Regional Center of Excellence

Field Practicum

Vineyards - Viticulture Program               Wineries - Enology Program

A vital component of the VESTA program are the hands-on field experiences that are woven into our courses.  Students are required to participate in field experiences through partnerships with area vineyards and wineries. 

Viticulture Program

Practicum Site Form - Vineyards

Those students enrolled in VIN 111, VIN 113, VIN 114, or VIN 115 must contact a vineyard in their area that  would be willing to serve both as a mentor and a field practicum site for the completion of their hands-on experiences in their Viticulture class or classes.  After securing a potential site, complete the Field Site Form and email, fax or postal mail to Michelle Norgren.  Upon receipt of the completed form,  the cooperating vineyard  will be mailed complete information regarding their role as your mentor.

VESTA Approved Practicum Site

VESTA approved practicum site will consist of the following characteristics and must be approved by the VESTA National Center.

  1. Minimum 3 years as a Commercial Vineyard with 3 commercial harvests. 
  2. Size of vineyard does not matter.  
  3. Mentor must have a minimum of 3 years of vineyard experience.

Field Practicum Experiences will include:

VIN 111 - 16 hours of field practicum time required

  • Soil sampling

  • Soil pH measurements

  • Implementation of soil fertility plan

  • Identification and understanding of various trellis systems

  • Stock selection

  • Planting methods

  • Proper planting methods

  • Post planting care

  • Identification of vine anatomy

  • Proper trunk and cordon selection

  • Proper vine training procedures

VIN 113 - 32 hours of field practicum time required

  • Identification of vine anatomy

  • Description of growth events during growing and dormant seasons.

  • Identification of annual and perennial growth cycles

  • Accurate identification of old wood, diseased wood, live and dead buds, and basal buds.

  • Vine tying systems

  • Bud counts

  • Positioning of renewal spurs and properly space fruiting spurs

  • Proper cordon tying

  • Balanced pruning

  • Calculation of number of buds to retain based on pruning weight and appropriate balanced pruning formula.

  • Vine pruning using the results of appropriate balance pruning formula

  • Bench trial propagation of preferred varieties

  • Produce a minimum of six rooted cuttings

  • Identification of major spring pest concerns

  • Early season pest management strategies

  • Identification of major fungal diseases at field site

  • Sprayer calibration

  • Application of herbicide spray

  • Application of fungicide/insecticide spray

  • Application lime

  • Proper trellis maintenance

VIN 114- 32 hours of field practicum time required

  • Identification of major insect pests

  • Identification of major weed pests

  • Adjustment of existing management strategies for identified pests and diseases

  • Adjustment of a given spray schedule

  • Water management strategies for field site

  • Desuckering and shoot thinning

  • Shoot thinning

  • Petiole sampling

  • Implementation of a nutritional plan based on analysis.

  • Identification of major fungal diseases at field site

  • Proper cluster thinning

  • Proper shoot positioning

  • Proper leaf removal

  • Description of canopy ideotype characteristics

VIN 115 - 32 hours of field practicum time required

  • Participation in vine summer fertility plan

  • Participation in proper sampling and lab analysis techniques to predict harvest

  • Application of previously learned tasks and their impact on the quality of the harvest

  • Participation in the harvest operation

  • Participate in coordination of harvest transportation

  • Demonstrate proper post harvest monitoring of the vineyard

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Enology Program

Practicum Site Form - Wineries

Those students enrolled in VIN 146, VIN 246, VIN 257 or VIN 259 must contact a winery in their area that  would be willing to serve both as a mentor and a field practicum site for the completion of their hands-on experiences in their enology class or classes.  After securing a potential site, complete the Field Site Form and email, fax or postal mail to Michelle Norgren.  Upon receipt of the completed form,  the cooperating vineyard  will be mailed complete information regarding their role as your mentor.

VESTA Approved Practicum Site

VESTA approved practicum site will consist of the following characteristics and must be approved by the VESTA National Center.

  1. 3+ employees (including working owners and temporary/part time employees)

  2. An active Barrel program or access to one at a neighboring facility.

  3. 5+ years commercial experience

  4. Minimum 5000 gallons of production

  5. Willingness to provide a training experience for the VESTA student.

  6. Access to the following equipment: Crusher, Destemmer, Press, Filtration system, Bottling line, Pumps

Field Practicum Experiences will include:

VIN 146 - 8 hours of field practicum hours required

  • Tour of winery facility by mentor

  • Observe steps of white winemaking process including:

    Stemming and Crushing

    Pressing

    Must Anlysis, adjustment and treatment

    Fermentation

    Racking wine off of the lees

    Clarification

    Stabilization

    Maturation

    Finishing

    Bottling

  • Observe steps of red winemaking process including:

    Stemming and Crushing

    Must adjustment and treatment

    Fermentation

    Pressing

    Malolactic Fermentation

    Racking

    Clarification and Stabilization

    Maturation

    Fining and Filtration

    Bottling

VIN 246 - 16 hours of field practicum hours required

  • Assist in all steps of white winemaking process including:

    Stemming and Crushing

    Pressing

    Must Anlysis, adjustment and treatment

    Fermentation

    Racking wine off of the lees

    Clarification

    Stabilization

    Maturation

    Finishing

    Bottling

  • Assist in all steps of red winemaking process including:

    Stemming and Crushing

    Must adjustment and treatment

    Fermentation

    Pressing

    Malolactic Fermentation

    Racking

    Clarification and Stabilization

    Maturation

    Fining and Filtration

    Bottling

VIN 257 - 194 hours of field practicum hours required

  • Set up and operation of de-stemming and crushing equipment

  • Set up and operation of grape press equipment

  • Set up and operation of lees filter

  • Demonstrate fermentation monitoring by measuring Brix and temperature

  • Cap management through one or more of the following techniques – pump-over, punch-down, deluce, rotary fermentation

  • Barrel re-hydration, cleaning, sanitation and repair

  • Storage of full and empty barrels

VIN 259 - 64 hours of field practicum hours required

  • Setup of pumps, flush lines, etc. to transfer wines.

  • Perform the safe transfer of wines in accordance with standard operating procedures for racking, filtration, topping and mixing.

  • Setup and perform laboratory for laboratory level fining trials

  • Perform cellar additions

  • Setup equipment and perform clarification of wines including plate and frame filtration, pressure leaf, cross-flow, rotary drum, and centrifugation, and rotary vacuum

  • Setup of equipment for laboratory level sensory evaluation, chemistry, and volumes available

  • Perform wine blending and evaluate results

  • Develop a blending plan based on laboratory results

  • Setup and perform laboratory stabilization trials (microbial, heat and cold)

  • Perform cellar stabilization operations

  • Setup a bottling line including tanks, filters, membrane filters, filler bowl, etc.

  • Clean and sanitizing a bottling line

  • Conduct tests for integrity of the membrane filter and operation of a bottling line.

  • Perform functions at standard steps in the bottling operation

  • Dismantle the bottling line, clean and sterilize in accordance with standard operating procedure

  • Safely handle SO2, cleaning chemicals, ozone, acids, and laboratory reagents.

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Michelle Norgren,
VESTA National Center of Excellence
Karls Hall 201

Missouri State University
901 S. National

Springfield, MO 65897
Phone: 417-837-2514
Fax: 417-837-2505
email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 

 
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