Course overview
This course provides a firsthand opportunity for students to experience, observe and acquire an understanding of the major processes involved in commercial winemaking. The course is an immersive and practically orientated work experience at a commercial winery and/or vineyard during harvest. Through industry placement students are exposed to high standards of current industry practice and professionalism. Further, the course will enable students to gain a working understanding of a winery, its management systems and structures. Students may pursue either a viticultural, winemaking or lab focussed pathway depending upon area of interest. A specified level of proficiency in the following operations is expected: vineyard assessments, maturity sampling, grape receival and weighbridge; crushing; draining and pressing; fermentation and post-fermentation operations and quality control procedures. Furthermore, an understanding of the contribution of each of the specified unit operations to the overall winemaking process is required. Students can undertake this course in either semester.
Course learning outcomes
- Observe and reflect on approaches to winemaking operations and viticultural processes in a commercial environment.
- Critically analyse real-world examples of commercial wine production and grape growing with respect to environment, winery management systems, business structure, management of personnel and compliance with occupational health and safety standards.
- Describe the sensory properties of wine and evaluate the winemaking and viticultural strategies employed during vintage to achieve a specified wine style.
- Plan, manage and evaluate a winemaking strategy. Reflect and critique on the viticultural and winemaking processes and approaches learned in the commercial environment then provide potential process improvements.
- Communicate winemaking and viticultural outcomes effectively in a commercial and team environment.
Availability
Class details
Waite Campus
Group 1
Class number 60479
Section 01WT
Size 30
Available 30
Class details
Waite Campus
Group 1
Class number 25489
Section 01WT
Size 30
Available 30
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