Business : Wine Grape Field Day is Aug. 1 at the Horticulture Research Station

The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University will host the 2023 Wine Grape Field Day on Tuesday, Aug. 1, at the Iowa State University Horticulture Research Station near Ames.

The field day will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. with the morning in the vineyard at the Horticulture Research Station and the afternoon in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State.

The morning will feature various research projects on grapevine management including trellis systems, shoot thinning combing, leaf pulling and evaluation of optimum harvest parameters.

After lunch offered at the Horticulture Research Station, the afternoon will include a visit to the Iowa State winery and will feature the first steps of winemaking, and ongoing wine research projects. The field day will end with a wine tasting of a current wine research project. This field day is offered to hobbyists and anyone interested to learn about grape growing and winemaking.

"This is a great opportunity for participants to meet and learn from others in the field," said Aude Watrelot, assistant professor and extension enology specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. "This is also a great opportunity to share ideas and be informed about what is happening in the specialty crop and grape industry in Iowa, as well as ongoing research projects."

The field day involves the participation of faculty, staff and extension specialists of the horticulture and food science and human nutrition departments, the Horticulture Research Station and the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute.

The Iowa State Horticulture Research Station is located at 55519 170th St., Ames, Iowa, and the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is located at 536 Farm House Lane, Ames.

A limit of 30 participants is set to keep the field day interactive and engaging. Lunch will be provided for free but registration is required. Register for the full day (9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) or either the morning (with or without lunch, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 p.m.) or the afternoon (2-4 p.m).

Registration is free but required at this link: https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8wsAa44FCMCOWzk