| professional wine courses via distance learning |
2100 - as from October 2007
(Can be followed by persons with no, or limited wine knowledge)
Oenology: The knowledge or study of wine, derived from the Greek oinos meaning wine. The French and Italian terms are, respectively, oenologie and enologia. Oenology has been used as synonymous with wine-making and distinct from viticulture, which is concerned with vines. There is a general tendency towards including the study of viticulture as well as wine production in the term, however, as more people accept that wine is made to a great extent in the vineyard. A consultant oenologist is likely to concentrate on the activities traditionally considered wine-making but
increasingly concerns himself or herself with what happens in the vineyard as well as the cellar. In general usage an oenologist is either a scientifically qualified employee or a roving consultant, as opposed to a fully employed practitioner who may or may not have scientific training, the wine-maker.- The Oxford Companion to Wine
What this course sets out to do is to train you, in not so much technical Vinification detail as is done in the Associate Degree in Viticulture & Wine Production above, but in the wider sense: as an expert with the knowledge of winemaking but also, as the Oxford Companion puts it above, as an expert who is knowledgeable about more than just viticulture and wine production: good wines are made, firstly in the vineyard, the scene then shifts into the cellar but thats only part of the process, all youve achieved so far is to produce thousands of bottles of wine- now our aspiring
winemaker has to make sure the wine business he/she has started actually functions efficiently, and her/his wines start selling! So, we also need to teach you these wider wine business, exporting and marketing skills. This is vital as many winemakers work in small wineries and they are expected to know how to manage the business, the selling outlet, keep proper books, market, sell and export their wines!
The winemaking module will give you a sound basis in wine production whilst the other modules cover all the other competencies like viticulture, marketing and management.
This course is one of the longest within our Curricula and covers a large amount of work. It is likely that it will take more than 2 years to complete.
It consists of the following components:
90 lessons and assignments, divided into Modules.
A portfolio of 120 wines that have to be tasted during the course
A Thesis
On-site Training of at least 60 hours
A short examination at the conclusion of each Module
A written or verbal examination at the conclusion of the course
Optional practicums: as set out above, at the practicum centres. This is optional only because of the structure of e-learning courses but it is strongly recommended that students make every possible effort to set the time free to attend these practicums.
Optional tutored work shops.
Optional Field Trip to a wine region.
The Modules cover the following topics:
Module 1: The essentials of Wine & Wine tasting (15 lessons)
Module 2: The role and influence of Viticulture (15 lessons)
Module 3: The essentials of Winemaking (30 lessons)
Module 4: The role of Wine Marketing (15 lessons)
Module 5: The essentials of Wine Management (15 lessons)
tarting date: immediateS
There's a 30 registration fee to be added to the tuition fee.
Tick BOOK NOW to officially enrol.