Six courses offer practical overview and skill-building on growing Iowa industry
For those interested in entering the growing vineyard and winery markets in Iowa, Kirkwood Community College will offer a six-part Winemaking & Winery Facility Management course series. In the next year Kirkwood Continuing Education will hold a six-course series, with a certificate awarded upon completion.
The courses begin with “Winemaking 101,” then continue with classes on fermentation and post-fermentation management; winery facilities, marketing and regulation, then a finale course on wines from pre-bottling to sales to the consumer.
Each course is taught in four evening classes, with a mixture of classroom and working winery instruction at Kirkwood’s new teaching winery in Washington Hall on the Cedar Rapids campus. Much of the students’ time will be spent in direct winery experience under close guidance of instructor Lucas McIntire, a professional winemaker with nearly a decade of contracted wine production at several eastern Iowa commercial wineries. During his career McIntire has produced thousands of gallons of wine in many varieties for sale to the public.
Ideally, students will complete all six courses to earn the Winemaking & Winery Facility Management Certificate. Class tuition is $49 for each of the classes. Students who enroll for the six-course series will receive a discount. For flexibility of student schedules and needs, each class may also be taken separately with unique attention given to each student’s background and interests. All courses are scheduled for completion in early 2011.
More information on the Winemaking & Wine Facility Management courses is available by calling Kirkwood Viticulturist Tom Moore at (319) 398-5899, Ext. 4010; or Instructor Lucas McIntire, (563) 599-9608.