Advanced Principles of Winemaking - Pre-Fermentation Must Amelioration and Fermentation Operations

This course builds on the Principles of Winemaking course to focus in detail on fermentation and fining techniques for must amelioration. Fermentation is a critical winemaking process, and this course will take a more detailed look into the management of ferments, including dealing with problems that can arise and using malolactic fermentation. The use of fining agents in grape must to manage specific faults and issues will also be covered.

The course aims to develop a greater understanding of fermentation management and evaluate different inoculation and management decisions. This course will also cover malolactic fermentation management and pre-fermentation fining techniques and will allow participants to evaluate different fining agents and methods.

Topics of study include:

• Use of fining agents in grape must
• Pros and cons of different fining agents
• Application of fining agents to specific problems in wine
• Food safety regulations for using fining agents
• Yeast selection and preparation
• Inoculating ferments versus non-inoculated ferments
• Fermentation kinetics and monitoring
• Yeast counts
• SO₂ Management
• Use of Ascorbic Acid
• Managing stuck ferments
• Malolactic fermentation (MLF) strain selection
• MLF co-inoculation versus sequential inoculation
• Other lactic acid bacteria pathways and influence on wine

This course ends with a 30-minute multiple-choice exam

This course is designed for Winemakers, Operations Managers and Cellarhands, with at least 1 harvest experience. 

Course Cost

Please note Plumpton College Wine Division have recently secured some funding, allowing for a reduction in price to a selection of wine courses, subject to eligibility*.

*Learners will be eligible for funding if they were aged over 19 on 31st August 2024 and have been resident in the UK for the last 3 years. Learners living in devolved areas (eg Greater London Combined Authority) will not be eligible for funding. Learners currently undertaking an apprenticeship will not be eligible for funding.

Price (non-funded learners): £580 

Price (funded learners): £348

PPE Requirements 

The programme includes practical activities in the winery/lab, so requires students to bring:

• Good sturdy footwear such as Wellington boots
• Working clothes or overall
• Lab coats will be provided