mfa nonfiction student emily trostel traveled last weekend to the colorado wine festival in palisade.  some would call this an excuse for dionysian ritual madness, but at the uwyo mfa we call it “thesis research.”

"thesis research"

"scientific method"

emily spent the summer travelling to wineries across the west, funded in part by a grant from the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources. looking at wine in the context of the slow food and locavore movement, her research focuses upon grape growing and winemaking in colorado and wyoming. unlike napa (which she was also fortunate enough to visit this summer) these regions are unexpected places for this kind of winemaking tradition.

"wine country"

in her own words:
“I’m interested in looking at the authenticity of wine making.  Big wineries rely heavily on technology to produce a reliable, mass-palate-friendly type of wine.  But, this rating-driven market has led to a loss of diversity among varietals that are grown and less authenticity in old world style winemaking.  So I’m also interested in the ethics behind grape growing (responsibility to the land) and the ethics behind winemaking (how much is the wine altered and how does that contradict the traditions behind making artisan wine that reflect the terroir of the land).”

well said, trostel. you are pretty as a peach.

@ farmer's market en route to laramie.