10/9/2024 6:53:50 PM	VIT 131 Course Outline as of Fall 2015	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  VIT 131	Title:  FRUIT QUALITY ASSURANCE
Full Title:  Working with Your Winemaker - Fruit Quality Assurance
Last Reviewed:9/13/2021

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	1.00	Lecture Scheduled	9.00		2 max.	Lecture Scheduled	18.00
Minimum	1.00	Lab Scheduled	0		2 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	9.00			Contact Total	18.00
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  36.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 54.00

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly: 

Catalog Description:

The primary aspects of winegrape quality improvement will be covered. The student will write a detailed plan to improve fruit quality in the vineyard, and then assess and evaluate the degree of improvement achieved. This short course also addresses enhancing communication skills between the grower and the winemaker and/or grape buyer.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ESL 100

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

The primary aspects of winegrape quality improvement will be covered. The student will write a detailed plan to improve fruit quality in the vineyard, and then assess and evaluate the degree of improvement achieved. This short course also addresses enhancing communication skills between the grower and the winemaker and/or grape buyer.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 100 or ESL 100
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:		Inactive:
Area:
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
CSU Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
UC Transfer:		Effective:		Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. The student will be able to identify, assess and recommend vineyard

practices that will improve wine grape quality.2. The student will be able to develop a written farming plan for the

implementation of fruit quality improvement practices.3. The student will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of the farming

plan.4. The student will be able to clearly communicate how the farming plan

will improve the winegrape quality.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Identify and describe how specific vineyard practices can improve the

fruit quality.

2. Develop and write a detailed vineyard farming plan to implement fruit

quality improvement practices.

3. Develop and write an assessment plan to quantify and evaluate the level

of fruit quality improvement.

4. Explain how fruit quality assessment plans can be effective.

5. Clearly communicate the assessment plan as part of a grape contract

negotiation.

Topics and Scope

I. Overview of winegrape quality assurance practices

  A. Canopy management

  B. Deficit irrigation

  C. Vine nutrition

  D. Use of technology, e.g., Normalized Differential Vegetative Index

     (NDVI), remote imagery, canopy and soil

     sensors, leaf pressure chambers

II. Identification vineyard problems that limit fruit quality

   A. Non-uniform ripening

   B. Poor irrigation/fertilization

   C. Vine vigor imbalance

III. Writing a vineyard management plan

    A. Specific vineyard problems requiring attention

    B. Farming practices that address the specific problems

    C. Appropriate timing of the farming practices

IV. Evaluation and assessment of wine grape quality

   A. Targeting specific wine styles

   B. Fruit parameters that result in a specific wine style

   C. Post-harvest wine evaluation

   D. Determination of which specific vineyard practices contributed to

      specific wine flavor/color/aroma characteristics

V. Writing a wine grape quality assessment and evaluation plan

  A. Correlate vineyard practices to fruit parameters at harvest

  B. Correlate vineyard practices to wine quality

  C. Evaluation of the level of fruit quality improvement

VI. Communication with winemakers and grape buyers

   A. Vocabulary and definitions

   B. Identification of shared goals

   C. Solicitation and utilization of feedback

VII. Grape contract negotiations

    A. Fruit parameters

    B. Timing

    C. Delivery

    D. Price (per ton vs. per acre)

VIII. Determination of optimum time/conditions for harvest

     A. Winery tank space and capacity

     B. Picking bin size options

     C. Trucking

     D. Night harvest vs. day harvest

Assignments:

1. Research (internet, other) on wine grape quality assurance practices.

(approx. 2 hours/week)

2. Write a vineyard management plan that incorporates researched assurance

practices.  (approx. 6-10 pages)

3. Write a plan for assessment and evaluation of vineyard management plan.

(approx. 3-5 pages)

4. Research multiple grape contracts and summarize pertinent negotiation

points (2-3 pages)

5. Quizzes (1-2)

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 45 - 60%
Fruit quality assurance plan for one year cycle
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 20 - 30%
Matching items, Completion, Short answer
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 15 - 25%
Oral project presentation; participation

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Instructor prepared materials

"The Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices Workbook, 3rd edition",

Wine Institute of California and the California Association of Wine Grape

Growers,

2013.

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