8/26: Today was our first day of our white wine fermentation project in intro winemaking. We were given a 30L jug, filled it will juice and yeast, and placed it in the 20C room. We also took a sample to run the various tests we learned the past couple weeks in lab such as SO2, pH, and TA. We now have to check on our juice twice a day to record its temperature and degree Baume. We also have to monitor its aroma so hydrogen sulfide doesn’t develop. If it does, then we add diammonium phosphate. We also have to monitor the temperature and move it into a cooler room if the ferment gets to warm. Since heat is a by-product when producing ethanol, there shouldn’t be a lot of heat to stress out the yeast. In lecture we leaned about SO2 in grapes and wine.
8/27: Today in viticultural methods, we had a field trip to the Barossa Valley. We visited Yalumba Nursery and Grant Burge winery. The weather was amazing and so nice while in the Barossa. At the nursery, we had a tour and they told us how they graft and propagate their vines. The canes/shoots that are collected after winter pruning are placed in cold storage for a while. These canes are also organized according to their cultivar, clone, or rootstock. When ready for grafting, the shoots are paired with another shoot of the same size and diameter and cut together with an omega cut. One of the shoots can also be cut at an angle on one end, placed inside the bark, and wrapped around with tape. The shoots with the omega cuts are placed in a bin covered in vermiculi and perlite and placed in a dark room. After a while, calluses will form at one end and roots at the other. The callus end is dipped in green wax which offers stability for the plant and stops hydration. The end with the rootlings gets planted and observed while the roots grow. Overtime, it will grow into a vine and eventually get planted in the vineyard.
8/28: Happy 18th birthday Dane!!! Wow 18 already?!?! Where has the time gone??? Have an amazing day and I wish I was there to celebrate with you!!! Enjoy driving my car but I expect it back when I return!!!!
Today I hopped off the bus on campus and saw a koala!!!!! I was walking on the sidewalk and noticed the people walking near me stop and I stop and look over to what they’re looking at and its a koala!!!!!!!! He was also quite active. He was on the ground and hopped over to a tree and climbed it. He allowed me to take a selfie with him and actually looked at the camera!!!! It was a high koality moment!! haha I immediately told my friends and they were so jealous since they haven’t seen a koala yet. Now, we constantly look up in the trees when we walk around campus.
8/29: We continued with vine hydraulics and water use efficiency lectures in viticultural science.
8/30: We didn’t have our wine practical since we’ve been monitoring our white wine ferment.
white juice fermentation at the winery 
dipped my finger in wax and now i’m Hulk 
Barossa Valley 
Grant Burge vineyard 
1890 vines!! 
the vines in this block were planted in 1890!! 
one of the 3 wines we tasted 
KOALA SELFIE!!!! 
city campus 
quince trees 
bonython hall 
coombe vineyard with the city in the background
Catch Rachel Down Under 