Course overview
The Master of Viticulture and Oenology program provides students with opportunities to gain experience working in viticulture and/or winemaking placements. Students undertake 10 weeks work experience, either in an approved viticultural enterprise, and/or in a commercial winery. The placement is normally a continuous 10-week block, taken during the vintage period of the particular region. Viticultural placements, however, may take place throughout the year, and can be composed of a series of discontinuous periods (totalling 10 weeks), enabling students to experience different vineyard practices throughout the year and gain a hands-on working understanding of the management systems and structures. Alternatively students may elect to undertake experience in commercial winery during the vintage period. At the completion of the placement, a specified level of proficiency and an understanding of the contribution of each of the major unit operations to the overall winemaking process are required.
In addition students will receive lectures and workshops designed to allow the examination of current policies and issues confronting the Australian wine industry. This will provide insight into how critical Australian wine industry organisations address topics of societal importance, including marketing, wine advertising, brand development and alcohol and health in the international context.
Course learning outcomes
- Demonstrate competency in the key practical aspects of viticultural work in a commercial setting.
- Demonstrate competency in the work undertaken by a cellar staff in a commercial winery during the period of vintage.
- Explain the principles behind either the practices that underpin a commercial viticultural operation. Students are required to reflect on practices undertaken in the vineyard. This can include a first hand understanding of soil management, irrigation, pests and diseases, canopy management, pruning, and vine monitoring and further describe limitations and suggest improvements. Furthermore, the student should be able to evaluate the management strategy used by a viticultural enterprise.
- Explain the principles behind the practices that underpin practical winemaking during the period of vintage in a commercial winery. This can include a first hand understanding of grape harvest and vine monitoring, grape receival and weighbridge operations; grape and juice processing; fermentation and post fermentation operations, cellar management and quality control procedures and further describe limitations and suggest improvements. Furthermore, the student should be able to evaluate the processes by which a series of operations from grape harvest decisions to post-fermentation management of a selected wine are made by a commercial winery.
- Explain the aims and objectives of the major grape and wine industry organisations.
- Explain some of the issues that are currently before the industry. These may include topics such as alcohol abuse and its implications for health and society, the global positioning of Australian wine, the role and importance of the Australian Wine Show system, and emerging practices in grape growing and winemaking.
- Develop high order report writing and presentations skills, including reflective analysis of placement experience in the context of industry issues