Syllabus- Plant Sciences 307, 1 Credit History and Evaluation of Wine in America Spring 2012 Instructor: Ron Smith, Ph.D. Office: 166H Loftsgard Hall; open hours by appointment is best Phone: 701-231-7971 Email: ronald.smith@ndsu.edu Text: Strongly suggested; Wine Wise Your Complete Guide to Understanding, Selecting, and Enjoying Wine. Authors: Kolpan, Smith, & Weiss; The Culinary Institute of America. A user friendly book for the wine lover who simply wants to know more about this enjoyable elixir of life. Justification: Being a multi-billion dollar industry, grapes are the highest value fruit crop in the U.S. and processing the fruit for wine increases its value from three - to ten - fold. Recent studies have revealed that California is home to fewer than half the wineries in the United States, with its expansion being dwarfed by upstart states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Colorado. Much of the growth is driven by increasing sophistication in taste by the American consumer, the demand for science-based information on the successful growing and marketing of grape wines, and any nutritional or medicinal benefits that may be derived from moderate consumption of this beverage. Thomas Jefferson, our country s 3 rd President, is credited with providing some initial appreciation of wine. His travels through Western Europe France, Germany, and Italy, in particular, and his extensive note taking on his experiences in attempting to grow wine grapes of equal quality in the Colonial States and their subsequent failure, will be part of the nucleus of this course. Students will be versed in Jefferson s travels, his experiences, and the contribution his efforts made to the eventual development of the wine industry and American culture will be explored. For the purpose of this course, he is considered America s 1 st sommelier! The course will provide some basic botany, history, cultural requirements, and techniques of processing grapes into consumable wine.
The course will complement offerings in horticulture, other plant sciences, and general education for those who want to gain a life-long appreciation and learning experience in this dynamically expanding industry. Course Objectives: Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to: 1. Have a concrete knowledge of our 3 rd President, Thomas Jefferson, the role he played in the initial stages of the wine industry in America; and the non-political contributions he made to American culture. 2. Understand how WWII in Europe impacted wine production in France; the challenges that go into making an acceptable wine. 3. To understand what economic impact the wine industry can have on a state budget; the spin-off employment that comes from having a viable wine culture 4. To understand the impact of Prohibition and how wine makers survived 5. To become thoughtful consumers of this important American beverage Course Description: Introduction to wines and wine industries from a historical perspective. Includes an overview of cultivar selection, cultivation, harvesting, expressing, fermenting, and processing of wines for unique characteristics. Wine tasting is needed to link sensory perceptions to wine characteristics. This course will be presented mostly via the Power Point medium, depicting the travels of Thomas Jefferson through Western Europe (France, Germany, and Italy) to learn of the grape growing and wine producing techniques that make a successful business. Being multilingual most especially in French - Jefferson was able to extract specific details that would otherwise have been lost in translation. His early attempts and failures at Monticello and of his dreams of what American wine production would eventually become will be discussed. Class discussions will also include: How the wine industry gradually grew along with the expansion west New York State, Missouri, Ohio, California, and now the wines of Washington. How Prohibition - the 18 th Amendment - created more problems than it solved; how American wines were considered inferior to the wines of Europe; how that changed through blind tastings by western European judges, what the industry has gone
through to meet expectations and demand, and how the demographic shift from hard liquor, to beer, and now to wine has taken place. Outside speakers will fill knowledge or expertise gaps in wine/food parings, the fermentation process, and the successful marketing of wine. Students will visit establishments involved in the wine business. Among them will be: Uncorked (Fargo), Carlos Creek Winery (Alexandria), Happy Harry s (Fargo), time permitting. All students participating in the wine tasting will have to be over 21. Note: I am the father of an alcoholic son. This has impacted his life tremendously resulting in financial and personal failure. He is attempting to rebuild his life to be able to enter back into the workforce through rehabilitation and support from Alcoholics Anonymous. This would also be a subject that I will address as well, letting you know the extent of setback that addiction to alcohol can cause to a vulnerable individual. Course Prerequisites: A driver s license or other means of legal identification showing age to be 21 or older; registered at the Junior/Senior level at NDSU for the current semester, a basic understanding of biological sciences. Course Credit: 1 credit hour Intended Class Schedule: 1. Introduction: Getting to Know Some Popular Wines PPt: Assignment: (week 1; 1/11) 2. Starting a batch of wine at Uncorked in Fargo (week 2; 1/18) 3. The World of Wine PPt; Ancient Wines PPt: Overview of where the wines of the world exist, and the beginnings of wine making. The protocol of opening a bottle of wine (week 3; 1/25) 4. Wine History PPt; 101 Viticultural Basics PPt; Overcoming wine production and shipment; The development of a vineyard PPt; land and exposure considerations, trellising, soil preferences. (week 4; 2/1) 5. Making Wine at Home PPt Steve Sagaser, Grand Forks Horticulturist will present the nitty-gritty of making wine at home, and being able to enjoy the finished product. (week 5; 2/8) 6. Exam #1 - Grape Growing Basics PPt; Reviews grape growing in ND and MN with some cold hardy varieties, and touches on the major problems facing grape growing phylloxera and Pierce s Disease. Prohibition: The Noble Experiment
PPt; an overview of what American and the wine & spirits industry went through during this futile and foolish period in our history. (week 6; 2/15) 7. The History of Wine In America PPt; From early Colonial wine making attempts using native grapes to modern hybrids; the rise of the wine industry in Missouri, in New York Finger Lake Region, impact of the gold rush, and the development of the California wine industry. (week 7; 2/22) 8. Wine Tasting at the Alumni Center Crary Lounge (week 8; 2/29 ) 9. Wine Bottling at Vintner s Cellar (week 9; 3/7) 10. Thomas Jefferson: America s 1 st Viticulturist and Sommelier PPt; A brief history of this amazing individual in American life; his impact on wine appreciation, his personality, and some of his over-indulgences. Discussion of the movies Sideways and Bottle Shock and how they influenced wine sales across America. (week 10; 3/21 ) Note: Field Trip to Carlos Creek Winery on Saturday, 3/31- strongly encouraged. 11. Exam #2: (3/28 - week 11) 12. To Cork or Not to Cork? PPt; Why the question; what does corking of wine imply? Considering alternatives. Wine & War PPt; what the French did during WWII to protect their wine industry(4/4 -week 12 ) 13. Grape Vine Nutrition PPt The basic requirements from a nutrient need to successfully grow wine grapes; Begin Student Presentations (4/11 - week 13) 14. Finish student presentations - (4/18 - week 14 ) 15. Finish up any loose ends; review for final exam (4/25 - week 15) 16. Dead Week No Classes April 30 May 4th 17. Final Exam week: ( 5/7 10:30-12:30). Organization of the Class: Student enrollment has normally been limited to 15 students, so this is something new, that may or may not cause problems. I ll try my best to minimize any that come up, but I ll need your cooperation as well! I have three planned field trips; Uncorked, Fargo; Happy Harry s, Fargo; Carlos Creek Winery, Alexandria. The problem is the class size; you all will not be able to be accommodated in a 15 passenger State Fleet Van. We ll work on getting this resolved by class time, if not, I ll see what can be done at our first meeting. The course will begin with the history of wine being imported into the United States under British rules; the importing of Madeira port that became a favorite of George Washington; the role of Thomas Jefferson s interest in attempting to develop America s own wine industry; Jefferson s unique character that makes him a historical standout; the role of
Missionaries in spreading and nurturing the developing wine industry; the surprising rise of Missouri as a good source of wine developed by German immigrants; problems of grape growing; the wine regions of New York State; early wine promotions Taylor Wine, Gallo Wine, etc.; President Nixon s Toast to Peace with Chou En-lai of China in 1972, Schramsberg Champagne, still the most popular Champagne used in White House celebrations; how Prohibition impacted the wine industry and how loopholes developed; the impact of wine industry on the economy; wine tasting and paring with food; and finally, the controversy over corking of wine, the alternatives attempted and the future of wine bottle closure. The students will be evaluated as shown below. The student presentation will involve giving an oral presentation using PowerPoint, on some aspect of the history of wine in America. The topic must be approved by the instructor. Potential topics include the Prohibition, the development of the wine industry in the Finger Lakes Region of NY, the impact of the wine industry development in Missouri, the influence of the Gold Rush on wine development in California, or the development of wine from fruits other than grapes. Evaluation: Exam 1..100 pts. Exam 2.100 pts. Final Exam 100 pts. Field Trip to Carlos Creek Winery..30 pts. Student Presentation.100 pts. Total points possible: 430 pts. Grading: Grades will be determined based on the following criteria: 90% > = A 80% - < 90% = B 70% - < 80% = C 60% - < 70% = D
Activities and attendance Requirement: The course will be conducted mostly with Power Point lectures, punctuated with guest speakers, examples, and demonstrations. Field trips to local wine establishments will be an integral part of the course. The course activities means attendance and participation is important. Should you miss any class or field trip, it is the student s responsibility notify me, and to make the effort to obtain the missed information from other students. Special Accommodations: Any student with disabilities who needs special accommodation in the course is encouraged to speak with the instructor as soon as possible so appropriate arrangements can be made. Academic Responsibility and Conduct: Students are expected at all times to perform their own work unless working in a group is required. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: cheating, plagiarizing, fabrication of information or citations, facilitating acts of academic dishonesty by others, submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. Penalties for academic dishonesty are outlined in NDSU University Senate Policy, Section 335: Code of Academic Responsibility and Conduct, and may lead to disciplinary sanctions include a failing grade for the course. (http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/policy/335.htm)