Experiment station uncorks Vinification and Brewing Technology Lab

From left, James E. Hunter, director of Cornell's Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva; Ann Martini, president of the Seneca Wine Trail; State Sen. Michael Nozzolio; Kathy Russell, owner of AFTEK; and Daryl Lund, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, cut the ribbon for the station's new Vinification and Brewing Technology Laboratory, March 31. R.Way/NYSAES/Cornell

By Linda McCandless

New York State Sen. Michael Nozzolio and Daryl Lund, dean of Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, ushered in a new era of commitment to the state's winemaking and beer-brewing industries when they cut the red ribbon at the formal dedication of Cornell's Vinification and Brewing Technology Laboratory at the Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, N.Y., March 31. The 2,000-square-foot research and teaching facility represents the latest university/industry partnership on the part of Cornell and the experiment station.

"I want to applaud and encourage this public-private-academic partnership," said Nozzolio. "As one who has two degrees from Cornell, I have always been proud of our pre-eminence as a research institution." Nozzolio (R-53rd Dist.) praised the experiment station's commitment to industry in New York and pledged continued support of the station's efforts.

About 150 industry representatives and members of the station family were in attendance, including Lund; James E. Hunter, director of the Agricultural Experiment Station; Kathy Russell, owner of Applied Filtration Company (AFTEK); Ann Martini, president, Seneca Wine Trails; and Richard Durst, chairman of Cornell's Food Science and Technology Department (FS&T) at Geneva.

"This project couldn't have happened without state resources and a commitment from State Senator Nozzolio and Governor Pataki," said Lund. He also acknowledged the vision of Mark McLellan, who was the chairman of FS&T at the project's inception three years ago. Lund also detailed how a donation of microbrewing equipment from Miller Brewing in Milwaukee followed him from the University of Wisconsin to Rutgers and now to Cornell, where it will be retrofitted and installed as the core piece of equipment in the brewing station in the east end of the facility.

"As part of the station's mission to serve industry, we have long made a major effort on behalf of the wine and grape industry," said Hunter. "With the development of this facility, we will be able to develop programs to help the brewing industry as well."

In his comments Hunter addressed the growth of these industries in the state: "With the 140 wineries in New York state comes related industries that prosper. We needed a larger and better facility to provide the research and training programs to serve these industries."

The lab builds on the station's well-established programs in enology and fermentation science. Previously, the 10,000 square-foot Fruit and Vegetable Processing Pilot Plant at the station was used for fermentation studies, but the wine and brewing industries in the state have grown to such an extent that the station required a separate facility to properly serve their needs.

Thomas Henick-Kling, associate professor of FS&T, will direct the winemaking program in the facility; Karl Siebert, professor of FS&T, will direct the brewing program; and FS&T chairman Richard Durst will oversee operations.