The Department of Technology of Wine and Oenology was established in 1946 in the Odessa Technological Institute of the Conserving Industry. Sergey Alekseevich Melnik – professor, Doctor of agricultural sciences, an outstanding scientist in the field of viticulture and winemaking – was one of its organizers and the first head of the Department.
S.А. Melnik
At that time, the Department paid a lot of attention to the teaching and methodological work. It was necessary for engineers-winemakers education. Employees of the Department also conducted research work related to the current issues in concrete tanksexploitation in winemaking, the technology of red sparkling wines.
In different years the outstanding scientists-professors worked and were in charge of the department: M.A. Tupikov, S.E. Kharin, A.A. Preobrazhensky, V.V. Tikhomirov. Also, direct participation in the fate and work of the Department ware accepted from professors A.T. March, B.L. Flaumenbaum, A.V. Ivanenko.
In 1958 Alexander Alexandrovich Preobrazhensky,a large winemaker, practitioner and a scientist,was invited to run the Department.
A.A. Preobrazhensky
On his initiative in 1961, the Department organized a research sector, engaged in the development and improvement of technology for dessert and strong wines. Employees of the Department under the leadership of A.A. Preobrazhensky conducted research on such important problems of winemaking as uninterrupted ways of fermenting grape must and Sherry production, developing new modern technologies of Madeira, Sherry, Marsala, Muscat, table, semisweet wines. A large number of the Departments developments were introduced into production. Close cooperation with winemaking enterprises of Ukraine and Moldova was carried out.
The Department entered to the Odessa Lomonosov Technological Institute in 1968, it has done a great job of arranging a new place, creating conditions for education and research work, intensified methodical work. Books-monographs of A.A. Preobrazhensky “Technology of port wine” (Chisinau, 1967) and others were widely used in the educational process as teaching aids for students.
After death of Professor A. A. Peroobrazhensky in 1976, V.A.Rusakov became the head of the Department.
V.A. Rusakov
Previously conducted studies were continued and new ones undertaken. On the basis of a joint research with the Department of Technological Equipment of Food Production, a number of new machines and apparatus forgrapes processing were created.Finally was developed technology of the Moldavian Marsala. Under the leadership of V.A. Rusakova the research group developed and implemented the technology of Moldovan sparkling rose wine (bottle method) at the Cricova Champagne Wine Factory, and the Kiev sparkling wine technology (tank method) at the Kiev Champagne Winery. By orders of Moldovinprom and Glavprodvinprom of Ukraine, research has been carried out, developed and transferred to the production of a new beverage based on the wine-type “aperitif”. The method of intensifying the extraction of spicy aromatic plant raw materials using modern cavitation methods was studied.
In those years, close cooperation with the Department of Conserving Technology was established. As a result, for the first time in the practice of world winemaking scientifically validated pasteurization modes for semi-dry table wines were developed. A large amount of research was carried out to create non-alcohol drinks based on grape raw materials and development of the “low-alcohol wine” technology. Was investigated a new technological operation –”electrothermovinification” for red wines preparation. Investigations were also conducted on fruit and berry wine: keeping wine materials and wines in unheated storages; technology of fruit and berry wines reminiscent a Malaga. These works were introduced into production in Russia and Ukraine.
During last few years, research has been conducted at the Department with the participation of students on the use new protein materials obtained on the basis of vegetable raw materials for clarification and stabilization of wines.
At present, the staff of the Department is represented by highly qualified specialists who successfully perform the main task – bachelors, specialists and masters preparation.
Since 2008, the Department of Technology of Wine and Oenology is headed by the doctor of technical sciences L.A. Osipova.
L.A. Osipova
The field of her scientific research is related to the development of innovative technologies for wines and functional drinks based on grape, fruit and berry, spicy aromatic plant material. Her development is based on the concept of the environmentally friendly products without the use of synthetic imitators for color, taste, aroma and chemical preservatives, which are unsafe for human health.
Summing up, it can be noted that the staff of the Department perform scientific research on topical issues of winemaking, being in the forefront.
Its development is based on the concept of the release of environmentally friendly products without the use of synthetic imitators of color, taste, aroma and chemical preservatives, which are unsafe for human health.
Summing up, it can be noted that the staff of the Department performs scientific research on topical issues of winemaking, being at the forefront of the industry.
Over the past time, more than 3000 specialists, technologists of the wine industry, have been trained. They work in Ukraine, as well as abroad – in Moldova, Belarus, Russia, Germany, Israel and USA.
It is possible to note among them the following specialists: the leaders of the Ukrainian wine industry – Agafonov M.A., Furkevich V.A., Chenusha S.A.; winemakers-scientists, doctors of sciences – Kosyura V.T., Baev O.M., Gerzhikova V.G., Zagoruiko V.A., Lukanin A.S., Kozub G.I.; heads of industry – Tkachenko D.P., Guliev R.V., Ponomarenko I.I., Semkov S.V., Shelekhov Yu.I., Babynin V.I., Kozlivska V.M., Sarkisyan O.I. , Kirpikov F.I., Yalanetsky A.Ya., Gagauz V.T., Novikov L.L., Nacheva T.A. and many others.
In July 2019, the Department of Wine Technology and Oenology was reorganized into the Department of Wine Technology and Sensory Analysis. The head of the department is Dr. Tech. Sciences, Professor Tkachenko Oksana Borisovna.
Tkachenko OB – Doctor of Technical Sciences, specialty 05.18.05 – Technology of sugary substances and fermentation products. Theme of dissertation work “Scientific bases of improvement of technology of white table wines by regulation of redox processes of their production”; National Expert for Oenology EU Project “Support to the development if a Geographical Indications system in Ukraine”.
The main directions of scientific activity of the department in the modern period are headed by doctors of technical sciences O.B. Tkachenko, L.A. Osipova, OG Burdo and L.V. Caprelianz.
The priority modern direction of scientific activity of the department is the program “Scientific bases of formation of quality of grape wines of Ukraine in the system of grapes – wine”. Currently, scientists of the department are developing this area of research in real conditions of the terroir of Odessa, Mykolaiv and Kherson regions.
In recent years, the international scientific activity of the department has significantly increased. Within the framework of the OENOVITI International Network (OIN), the OENOVITI International Network (OIN) is an international scientific community in the field of viticulture and winemaking, which includes recognized international research institutions and free economic institutions, industrial organizations from five continents, of which ONAHT is a member. is since 2015, scientists of the department took part in 3 research projects.
For the first time in the history of scientific school development, 3 scientists of the department participate in the EU international project “Support to the development of geographical indications in Ukraine” as national experts in the field of oenology and sensory analysis.
More than 19 disciplines are taught at the department. Training tastings of wines, cognacs, beers, etc. are systematically organized. Drinks, excursions to the leading enterprises of the wine, brewing and non-alcoholic industries.
The result of many years of research work was the opening in 2017 of the only in Ukraine, educational and scientific laboratory of sensory analysis, which was established with the assistance and investment of the company “Shabo”.
The laboratory is designed in accordance with ISO 8589: 1988 Sensory analysis – General guidance for the design of test rooms.
In recent years, scientists of the department have published more than 370 scientific papers, including 3 textbooks, 24 monographs, received more than 20 patents. The results of scientific research are tested at conferences and symposiums in Ukraine and abroad. Under the guidance of Ph.D., Professor O.B. Tkachenko fruitfully working on the development of the scientific school of young scientists – candidates of technical sciences, Titlova OO, Radionova OV, Khodakov OL, Melnyk IV, Sugachenko TS, candidate of agricultural sciences Sciences Kameneva NV
Graduates of the department work at the enterprises of the fermentation industry for the production of wine, malt, beer, soft drinks.