UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State President Eric J. Barron will welcome a pair of University experts to discuss Pennsylvania winemaking and the fundamentals of grape growing during the next episode of WPSU Penn State’s “Digging Deeper.” The show will air at 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 26, on WPSU-TV.

Michaela Centinari, assistant professor of viticulture, and Ryan Elias, associate professor of food science, from Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will join Barron as the group discusses the uniqueness of Pennsylvania wines, the challenges facing state winemakers and grape growers, and the process of winemaking. According to the National Association of American Wineries, Pennsylvania is the fourth largest wine-producing state and has the seventh-most wineries in the country.

Centinari, whose expertise includes wine grape production, grapevine physiology, cover crops and cold temperature crops, says that cold winter weather and springtime frost pose major challenges to grape growing and can lead to crop loss. Elias’s areas of expertise include the study of wines and winemaking, food chemistry, brewing chemistry, and antioxidants and lipid oxidation.

“Digging Deeper: Winemaking” will also air at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, on WPSU-FM in addition to the March 26 broadcasts. A new episode of “Digging Deeper” will air each month during the academic year.

Visit the “Digging Deeper” website for more information and to watched archived episodes.