Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service – Viticulture and Enology Team (Texas A&M University) is looking for a full-time Master’s Student to join our group for a two-year research project with the main focus on Enology and with an important Viticulture component. The position is funded, and it involves living and studying in College Station (main campus) as well as traveling and performing research a few times a year in Lubbock, TX.
Start Date
January 2022
Project Title
Verjus: A natural method to improve wine acidity and increase the profitability of grape production in Texas
Project Summary
Verjus, the acidic juice produced from unripe grapes, has a very long history of culinary use. Researchers at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Woman’s University seek to evaluate the potential of using verjus to naturally acidify Texas wine, addressing a common winemaking challenge of high pH, while simultaneously providing grape growers with an additional source of income for the fruit that is normally removed prior to harvest, but discarded. The goals of the project are:
1) assess the feasibility of verjus production by cluster thinning using a mechanical harvester.
2) determine the impact of verjus on white wine chemical composition and flavor quality.
The trial will be conducted in a commercial vineyard in Brownfield, Texas. Grapes will be processed to verjus and resulting wine. The verjus and wine quality and flavor properties will be characterized using instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation.
The outcomes of this project will help improve Texas wine quality and serve to enhance the competitiveness and longevity of grape production in the state.
Contacts
Dr. Pierre Helwi : pierre.helwi@ag.tamu.edu
Dr. Andreea Botezatu : andreea.botezatu@ag.tamu.edu