VESTA program joining RLC involvement at DuQuoin State Fair

INA, Ill. (Aug. 13, 2014) - The Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance (VESTA) program at Rend Lake College is joining forces with the Culinary Arts program and several local businesses for some culinary demonstrations at the DuQuoin State Fair next week.

Candice Fitch-Deitz, VESTA Illinois State Coordinator, said the program will be taking part in the winetasting activities alongside the Illinois Grape Growers and Vintners Association (IGGVA), including free, daily food and wine pairing demonstrations with aroma wheels and at the Sensory Workshop scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 in the Expo Hall.

During the week-long demonstrations, VESTA will join Culinary Arts, Seasonings Bistro of Benton, Uncle Joe’s BBQ of Ina, and Pheasant Hollow Winery of Whittington, among others, to give visitors a taste of Southern Illinois. Wine pairings with a complimentary aroma wheel will be provided for everyone in attendance.

“An aroma wheel goes through all the different aromas and flavors that you find in wine. It acts as a guide to help people identify and explain the characteristics of the wine they are drinking,” said Fitch-Deitz. “We’ll be providing them to every participant at each demonstration, and they’ll be able to take them home for their own use.”

Some RLC students will also be on hand during the demonstrations and products expo during the fair, working with local wineries. Demonstrations will be held nearly every day on the fairgrounds starting Aug. 22.

During the Sensory Workshop, attendees will learn about the principles of wine sensory analysis, or the basics of tasting and smelling wine. Fitch-Deitz said the workshop itself will be lead by Bradley Beam, Enologist Specialist with the IGGVA.

“We’re going to do aroma identification, or being able to smell the different scents from the wine; flavor identification; and wine faults identification, which is being able to tell when a wine tastes flawed and why that is,” said Fitch-Deitz. “We’re going to try and keep it to two hours by hitting the high points and the basics for those who are interested in wines. The IGGVA asked us to help out this year and our goal is to get more people involved with the educational aspect of the event by learning about the local food and wines at the same time.”

Space will be limited at the Sensory Workshop and participants must be at least 21 years old. Those interested in attending should register by Aug. 29 with Fitch-Deitz by email at deitzc@rlc.edu or by phone at 618-437-5321, Ext. 1724. A second Sensory Workshop may be scheduled on Aug. 31 if registration overflows.

To check out the RLC VESTA program at the DuQuoin State Fair, visit the Expo Hall on the fairgrounds. The Culinary Arts program will also be present during the Opening Day Media Dinner on Aug. 22 and subsequent demonstrations the following week. A full list of events will be posted to the fair’s website at www.agr.state.il.us/dq.