Charles Edwards

Charles G. Edwards is a Professor Emeritus/Food Scientist at Washington State University (WSU), affiliated with the School of Food Science within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. His career spans over three decades, focusing on food and wine microbiology, fermentation science, and microbial spoilage in beverages. He holds a Ph.D. in food science from Penn State University (1989), and has taught courses such as Wine Microbiology & Processing and Ciders and Other Fermented Foods.

Edwards' research addresses challenges in alcoholic fermentation, non-Saccharomyces yeast applications, malolactic fermentation, and spoilage organisms like Brettanomyces. Notable contributions include identifying nutrient deficiencies affecting yeast performance and discovering novel bacterial species in wines. His work has influenced federal regulations on yeast nutrient use and introduced methods to combat wine spoilage via thermal treatments and microbial control.

His publications span 2015–2021, emphasizing microbial interactions, sensory analysis of wine faults, and innovative fermentation techniques. Awards include the Prix de l’O.I.V. for his textbook Wine Microbiology (2007) and the Excellence in Research Award (2006). Edwards has advised 37 graduate students and contributed to technical books and reviews on enology and food microbiology.

His research labs and collaborations focus on advancing fermentation science, with practical applications in winemaking and food safety. Current projects explore non-Saccharomyces yeasts for alcohol reduction and microbial management in ciders and wines.