Development of an Enology Outreach Program

There has been a chronic underinvestment in extension and outreach for the wine
industry. The specific goal of this proposal is the development of a comprehensive web
site that will serve both researchers in enology and winery personnel. With the plethora
of information sources currently available on the internet, searching effectively and
efficiently for pertinent and accurate information has become challenging. This site will
function as a means to link researchers across the United States and internationally that
have an active program or interest in enology. The aim of the site is to share information
within the research and production communities, facilitate collaboration, eliminate
unnecessary redundancy, and foster communication on issues of regional, national or
global importance. In the current funding year an Implementation and Advisory
Committee for the Enology Extension Online web site was formed. The committee
consists of: Dr. James Harbertson (Washington State University), Dr. James Osborne
(Oregon State University), Dr. Brent Trela (Texas Tech University), Dr. Trevor Phister
(North Carolina State University) and Dr. Bruce Zoecklein (Virginia Tech). Dr. Bisson is
chairing the group and the committee is assisted by Kay Bogart. The Implementation and
Advisory Committee has designed the scope of the site, which is described in detail in the
request for continuing funding. In addition the group considered the best mechanisms for
creation and maintenance of the site. The site has been named ?Enology Extension
Online? and will be launched in April 2008.