Musto Wine Grape Company, LLC. Basic Winemaking Course Syllabus:

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This program primarily covers the basics necessary to understand the art and science of making wine.  Students should leave the class with an overview of the winemaking process and prepared for a hands-on experience.

The entire spectrum of the process is addressed including cleaning, sanitizing, and preparing equipment, understanding and performing appropriate metrics, detailed steps needed to produce finished wine from fresh grapes, grape juice, frozen musts, and kits, bottling and storing wines. Discussions include equipment choices from manual to electric units, wooden barrels for storage, stabilizing and preserving wines for extended time, and other pertinent tops. The class consists on one three plus hour slide presentation/lecture with open Q&A, and tasting examples of home made wines. Students must be at least 21 years of age to participate in wine tasting/evaluation exercises.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Introduce the basic practices of wine making.
2. Provide an understanding and feel for the skills required to successfully make high quality wines.
3. Introduce the student to the sanitary requirements necessary to consistently produce world-class wines.

Many people make wine each year.  In its most basic form, the process of converting fruit or fruit juice to an alcoholic product is quite simple.  The craft industry has developed kits and other products that are simple to use, offer step-by-step instructions, and yield very consistent results.  Such products are perfect for getting one's feet wet in the hobby.  Still, arguably there is a difference in making wine versus winemaking.  The former implies a somewhat abstracted methodology of producing wine and the later implying a process by which the winemaker has both a greater understanding and greater control over the process.

We believe that what we describe above is an evolution of sorts, one that occurs over time and one where having a foundation of understanding goes a long way toward becoming an accomplished winemaker.  To that end, we at Musto Wine Grape Company, LLC have developed a series of winemaker led classes that we hold at our Hartford, CT location.  From a General Introductory Course, to Lab Skills, Sensory Analysis, and even a hands-on bootcamp, these courses provide both new and experience winemakers with the foundation necessary to develop rapidly in this wonderful hobby.

To learn more about the classes we offer and the dates we will be offering them, click on the links to the classes in the related products inset to the right.  If you have any questions regarding our classes, want to arrange for a group class, etc., please contact us.