WSU Viticulture & Enology

11/26/2025

🚨 We’re Hiring! 🚨

Assistant/Associate Professor – Winery Process Engineer
📍 WSU Tri-Cities | Richland, WA

The WSU Viticulture and Enology Department is seeking a dynamic faculty member to join our team in a career-track position focused on winery process engineering.

What You’ll Do:
✅ Lead research in automation, sustainability, and fermentation control
✅ Teach innovative courses at undergraduate and graduate levels
✅ Drive advancements in energy & water efficiency and waste mitigation

Position Details:
- Faculty Rank: Assistant or Associate Professor (commensurate with experience)
- Appointment: 12-month, 0.75 FTE
- Start Date: August 1, 2026 (negotiable)
- Application Deadline: December 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM

Join us in shaping the future of winemaking through technology and sustainability! 🍇🍷
👉 Apply Now: wine.wsu.edu/article/winery-process-engineer
📢 Share this opportunity with your network!

The Department of Viticulture & Enology at Washington State University Tri-Cities invites applications for a career-track faculty position in Winery Process Engineering (Chemical Engineering) with a 12-month, 0.75 FTE appointment. Faculty rank will be at the Assistant or Associate Professor level, c...

07/18/2025

Looking for something to do this weekend?

Catch the Chapter Two Concert Series at J Bookwalter Wines in Richland!

Proceeds benefit WSU Viticulture & Enology and Seattle Children's through the Auction of Washington Wines.

Drink wine, dance it off ,and feel good about it! Grab your tickets at https://www.bookwalterwines.com/collection #/2025-concert-series

06/18/2025

🍷 Calling All Winemakers & Wine Scientists!

🍇 Are you ready to lead cutting-edge research in one of the world’s premier wine science facilities?

📍 WSU Viticulture and Enology is hiring a Research Winemaker to join their team of experts at the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center — a global hub for innovation in viticulture and enology.

🔬 In this role, you’ll:
- Oversee all research winemaking operations
- Collaborate with top faculty and students
- Produce both research and commercial wines
- Help shape the future of wine science

🗓️ Apply by June 30, 2025

👉 Learn more & apply: https://wine.wsu.edu/article/research-winemaker-position-now-open/

05/01/2025

Register now for the upcoming WAVEx webinar on May 14, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. that will share new discoveries of what happens to tannins as wine ages in bottles.

Webinar content stems from a four-year research project funded by the Washington State Wine Commission and led by Dr. Andrew Waterhouse, emeritus professor, University of California, Davis, and Dr. Jim Harbertson, enology professor, Washington State University. The collaborative project explored chemical reactions and sensorial impacts of chemically modified tannins created as wine aged in bottles, and tracked the formation of tannins that had been chemically modified in commercial wines aged up to 20 years.

Register Now: https://washingtonwine.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OU_XJwdYTJ2afDRO9v8_5g #/registration

04/24/2025

The Visionary Vintage wine sale of Hamilton Cellars remaining inventory will benefit the Russ and Stacie Hamilton Foundation at WSU Tri-Cities, supporting scholarships and academic excellence for students in viticulture and enology, business and healthcare.

Event Details:
Hamilton Cellars, 55410 N Sunset Rd, Benton City, WA 99320

Pick-Up Start Date & Sale Schedule:
Sale Begins: Friday, April 25th | 12:00PM–5:00PM
Every Thurs–Sun, 12:00 PM–5:00 PM, Through Sunday, June 8th

Pricing:
All Cases (12 bottles, 750ML): $100 each
10+ Cases: $70/case, 20+ Cases: $60/case
Hamilton “Tribute” Series Wine Case: $40 each

Wines must be purchased by the case. No individual bottle sales. Sale pricing is only available on-site. Online sales will be paused during the event. All details can be found at: https://www.hamiltoncellarswinesale.com/

04/08/2025

This year’s WAVE (Washington Advancements in Viticulture and Enology) combines two events into one—the annual WAVE research seminar and WSU’s Ravenholt Lecture series.

A day for education, celebration and connecting, WAVE highlights sustainable research efforts and solutions to winery and vineyard challenges, market trends of wine eco-labels, research poster displays, keynote WSU Ravenholt Lecture, and celebration of the Sustainable WA certification program leaders.

When: April 23, 2025 – 8:00 am – 5:30 pm

Where: WSU Tri-Cities, Richland, WA

Cost: $40

Registration: https://web.cvent.com/event/230e56e3-30a4-403e-98e9-9b49cd588f10/summary

04/03/2025

Our research team is currently enrolling volunteers for a red wine sensory panel. Sensory panels provide objective data and detailed assessments to support our research.

Must be 21 and over. No experience needed. Panelists will be trained to identify flavors and aromas over a seven week period.

The panel beings April 15th. Training and evaluation sessions are scheduled on an individual basis, and based on your availability.

For more information and to volunteer, email [email protected]

03/31/2025

JOIN OUR TEAM!

We are currently hiring a Fiscal Specialist in the Viticulture & Enology Department. The position is located at the Wine Science Center in Richland, WA.

Apply now:

https://wsu.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/WSU_Jobs/details/Fiscal-Specialist---Viticulture---Enology_R-13294?locations=d013a30e9e950101ee161b3cabc30000

05/14/2024

The Viticulture and Enology Department is pleased to share that Dr. Tom Collins has been promoted from assistant professor to associate professor.

“In some ways, it feels like I’ve completed a great task,” said Collins, “But this is just the beginning. There’s no shortage of projects to work on.”

Dr. Collins looks forward to new research opportunities and continued mentorship of students who represent the future of the industry.

“The work continues,” he said. “There are still high expectations for publications and continuing to excel in teaching. Now we move on to bigger and better things and continue building upon the program that’s already been established.”

04/23/2024

The Ravenholt Lecture Series returns May 9-10 for a two-day mini symposium entitled, "TOMORROW'S VINTAGE: Seizing opportunities and navigating challenges in the ever-evolving grape and wine industry."

This endowed lecture series brings industry experts to WSU to share their research and professional perspective. Hear presentations highlighting new technologies, sustainable practices, product up-cycling and innovative approaches to climate change.

$40 for professionals, free for students enrolled in viticulture and enology educational programs.

Register now! Seating is limited: https://wine.wsu.edu/event/ravenholt-lecture-series/

04/17/2024

The Viticulture and Enology Department is strengthened by our community, and our community is loyal, passionate, and tenacious! With the community and the community behind us, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Today, for we want to celebrate our community, and highlight a new initiative created to support viticulture and enology students in need.

Our diverse student community is made up of many first-generation and underrepresented minority students. Barriers to their success often come outside of the normal scholarship cycle and are typically beyond the scope of traditional scholarship criteria.

As a department that is closely connected to industry, we value a diverse workforce capable of innovative solutions, and recognize the need to keep students in crisis from falling through the cracks. Choosing between food, transportation, and textbooks should never be a dilemma that our students face. The Viticulture and Enology Student Support Fund has been established to immediately and holistically support students through challenging life situations.

To support students with a donation visit: https://cougsgive.wsu.edu/giving-day/81268/donate?des=610803&dept=88495

04/15/2024

Our partners at Auction of Washington Wines are invested in the success of the future leaders of the industry!

Through the Student Support Fund, and with support of our industry partners, students can overcome unexpected financial hurdles to stay on track toward graduation.

Visit the Auction of Washington Wines website to learn more about the Student Support Fund, and to make a contribution. https://auctionofwawines.org/wsu-student-support-fund