Fresno State’s Department of Viticulture and Enology and Viticulture and Enology Research Center welcomes area grape growers, managers, winemakers and winery personnel to sign up for its Grape Day virtual webinar from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The event is sponsored by American Vineyard Magazine and features research seminars on grape and wine topics by Fresno State faculty Dr. Luca Brillante, Dr. Miguel Pedroza, Dr. Stephan Sommer and Dr. Kristy Sun; as well as graduate students Robert Herrell, Kori Munk and Khushwinder Singh.

Dr. Rachel Naegele, a horticulturist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service center in Parlier, is also scheduled to present.

Each webinar is scheduled for 20 minutes, followed by five minutes of questions and answers. The program will also include a brief video presentation to showcase its research and academic program and facilities.

Online registration is free at https://bit.ly/FS20-JC-grape-day and required in advance by Sunday, Aug. 2.

The Grape Day event is held every two years to promote recent department research to industry members and program supporters.

More information on the event is available by contacting Cynthia Wood  at cynthiaw@csufresno.edu. The schedule of topics includes:

  • 9 a.m. – Welcome (Dean Dennis Nef, Dr. Anil Shrestha, Dr. Stephan Sommer)
  • 9:15 a.m. – San Joaquin Valley vineyard soil reclamation using calcium sulfate amendments (Dr. Luca Brillante, Khushwinder Singh)
  • 9:35 a.m. – Breeding novelty and resistant table grapes (Dr. Rachel Naegele)
  • 10:05 a.m. – Deficit irrigation and mechanical leafing impact on area Cabernet Sauvignon berry yield and wine composition (Dr. Kristy Sun)
  • 10:30 a.m. – Polysaccharide use in wine production (Dr. Stephan Sommer)
  • 10:55 a.m. – Demonstration of biopotentials to evaluate sensory stimulation evoked by wine aroma (Dr. Miguel Pedroza, Robert Herrell, Kori Munk)