精东传媒app

Biochemical and microbiological considerations are important in grape and wine production This course introduces the major classes of biochemical compounds, their structures and chemistry, major metabolic processes relevant to grape growing and winemaking and biochemical reactions and additives during wine production and storage. This course also provides an understanding of the involvement and significance of micro-organisms in viticulture and winemaking and aims to impart an appreciation of the roles of micro-organisms in the environment, and potential positive and negative impacts of micro-organisms on grapevine health and wine production processes.

The chemical and physical nature of structures and functions within living cells is studied. This course allows students to develop an understanding of the major classes of biochemical compounds and the metabolism of these compounds. It discusses the structures and chemistry of biomolecules, bioenergetics of metabolic reactions and central metabolic processes including metabolism of carbohydrates, respiration and photosynthesis. This is extended to consider the biochemistry of important enzyme-catalysed reactions during production and storage of wine. Impacts of enzymes derived from the grapes, the microbes used to ferment wine, and used as winemaking additives are discussed. The course also considers biochemical and spectroscopic analysis of wine. In addition the course considers the positive and negative impacts that micro-organisms can have on quality of grapes and wine. This course includes discussion of the diversity of micro-organisms, microbial cell structure and function, metabolism, nutrition, growth and control of micro-organisms, an introduction to bacteria, viruses, fungi and protists and factors affecting their interactions with grapevines, an introduction to the types and roles of micro-organisms found in wines, roles of yeasts and bacteria in wine making and spoilage reactions, and control of micro-organisms in wine making.

On completion of this course students should be able to:

1. describe the major classes of biochemical compounds, including carbohydrates, lipids and proteins;
2. describe the action of enzymes and their applications metabolism;
3. explain the core metabolic processes which occur in most organisms (including grape vines and winemaking micro-organisms);
4. evaluate the integration of metabolic pathways in an organism;
5. describe the roles of enzymes in winemaking, the sources of these enzymes, their activities and impacts on wine production and quality;
6. describe and identify biochemical components that impact on wine production and quality;
7. summarise the taxonomy and morphological features of micro-organisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa;
8. describe the general characteristics, classification, replication of bacteria, fungi and viruses and their relevance to the wine industry;
9. describe the range of micro-organisms associated with wine and the roles of the micro-organisms in grape and wine production, including potential positive and negative impacts;
10. discuss the traditional and novel winemaking yeasts and bacteria, their requirements and their benefits;
11. outline the types of microbial spoilage reactions, their identifying sensory characteristics;
12. discuss microbial control options and their potential impacts on the wine produced.