ACTIVE GUILD TRIALS LIST - Vintage 2023
1 - Barrel Trial Sharing
2 - Non-Saccharomyces Yeast
3 - Alternative White Juice Fining
4 - Alcoholic Fermentation Yeasts
5 - Stems vs Clusters
Applied Research Collective
Vintners institute Guild
Vintners Institute Guild is an research collective, providing a private online forum for unbiased applied winegrowing research. The Guild brings together commercialviticulturists and winemakers to innovate, evaluate technologies, and navigate the problems of today. Ask your AVA association about VintneGuild membership.
S.P.E.A.R. APPLIED RESEARCH Program: A Research Collective
Most VI Guild activities occur within the Northern Hemisphere vintage cycle, via the learning management system, Canvas, which we call the Guild space. Guild members come together virtually in the Guild space to solve problems, innovate together, and execute the applied research program, SPEAR:
S — Submit Trial Ideas
P — Prioritize Ideas by Vote
E — Experiment/Execute
A — Analyze Data
R — Report Results
Depending on which trials are chosen in the Prioritization Vote, Guild members can choose to be a trial lead, a trial participant, or simply observe. Each vintage year culminates in in-person tasting events to collect sensory analysis data and plan for next year's Guild activities.
From process optimization to taint removal, each winery has their own opportunities and pains when it comes to problem solving. For this reason, only Guild winegrower members dictate the trials that are to be run for that vintage. Unbiased applied research begins with putting the needs of the grower and vintner first.
The VI Guild does not take vendor sponsorships to ensure the integrity of the research administration. However, we value the expertise and talent of manufacturers, producers, and consultants. We are currently developing a program for suppliers and other experts to participate in and support VI Guild activities.
GUILD ONLINE PLATFORM
The Guild Space: Private Project Planning & Discussion Forums
Vintners Guild uses the Canvas learning management system to provide secure online access to the Guild space. From project planning to publication of finished results, Canvas provides Guild members with an online meeting area to engage in discussions, submit ideas, store documents, and share resources.
Best Practice Knowledge Bank
As we complete new trials each vintage, results will be published in our Guild Library, which is available to all Guild members for use at their discretion. Results are scrubbed of brand names to respect the confidentiality of wineries and suppliers.