James Osborne

As the Director of the Oregon Wine Research Institute I coordinate the efforts of the OWRI researchers and staff to support the mission of the OWRI to engage in collaborative, multi-disciplinary research and outreach to support the Oregon wine industry. 

My research focuses on the impact of wine microorganisms on wine quality with an emphasis on non-Saccharomyces yeast, malolactic fermentation, and wine spoilage by Brettanomyces and Pediococcus. I am particularly interested in understanding microbial interactions that occur during wine production and how these can be utilized to improve wine sensory properties and prevent spoilage issues. Extension activities include developing statewide continuing education in enology for the wine industry in Oregon. Read more about James' research click here. 

Wine Microbiology - Malolactic fermentation; Microbial spoilage of wine; Wine yeast-bacteria interactions; Non-Saccharomyces and cold soaking, Problematic alcoholic and malolactic fermentations; Acetaldehyde metabolism.