Viticulture Certificate Program

Understanding grapevine anatomy and physiology is essential for producing quality wine grapes. Designed for vineyard owners, vineyard managers and workers, winemakers, enologists and aspiring vineyard professionals, this primarily asynchronous online course provides foundational knowledge of the grapevine and its function as the primary source of fruit for making quality wines. Explore the types of grapes and how they are used, the annual growing cycle of grapes, how grapevines are produced and propagated. You’ll also look at the chemical composition of grape berries and how it changes as grapes mature.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the importance of grapevine anatomy and how it impacts plant growth
• Identify grape cultivars through leaf, growing tip and cluster morphology
• Apply rootstock differences for determining the appropriate one for your vineyard site
• Recognize the importance of clean stock and how these plants are produced
• Comprehend the annual growing cycle and how chemical constituents change during maturation

Skills You Will Gain

• Grapevine anatomy and physiology
• Grape growing fundamentals
• Rootstock selection and breeding

Learn how vineyard soil and soil chemistry impact grapevine performance. Designed for vineyard owners, vineyard managers and workers, winemakers, enologists and aspiring vineyard professionals, this primarily asynchronous online course focuses on the importance of soil in a commercial winegrape vineyard. Learn about macro and microclimate, terroir and the choice of cultivars for particular sites. In the final weeks of the course, you’ll look at best practices for establishing a new vineyard, including soil preparation, vineyard layout and other factors to be considered. By the end of the course, you’ll understand how climate impacts grape growing worldwide, how physical and chemical soil characteristics impact water and nutrient movement, and how to utilize cover crops on the vineyard floor.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply the principles of soil chemistry to design a soil nutrition program for a vineyard
• Implement your knowledge of water monitoring and soil characteristics to design an irrigation program for a vineyard
• Identify appropriate cover crops for specific vineyard applications
• Develop a timeline and steps for establishing a new vineyard

Skills You Will Gain

• How to design a soil nutrition and irrigation program for a vineyard
• Appropriate use of cover crops for vineyards
• Best practices for establishing a new vineyard

Master the art of vineyard management through this comprehensive course designed for both experienced vineyard managers and aspiring vineyard owners. From selecting the perfect site to harvesting quality fruit, this primarily asynchronous online course covers every aspect of vineyard management throughout the growing cycle, ensuring your vineyard thrives in various conditions and climates.

Learning Outcomes

• Describe the key considerations involved in planting a new vineyard (site selection, soil, grape variety).
• Explain the benefits of the main training/trellising systems and select the best system for a given situation. 
• Discuss techniques of canopy management for pruning, training, thinning, leafing, hedging and shoot positioning to provide a healthy and balanced growing environment.
• Design an irrigation and nutritional program for a representative vineyard site that ensures vineyard success.
• Recognize various vineyard sensors and select the correct sensor for the specific vineyard applications. 
• Describe how to utilize the analytical parameters of vine and fruit health and demonstrate how to use them in monitoring a vineyard. 
• Design a vineyard development plan for 3 distinct sites and wine styles.

Skills You Will Gain

• Vineyard development planning and execution
• Advanced vineyard management techniques
• Proficiency using modern vineyard technologies and analytical tools
• In-depth knowledge of canopy management, soil nutrition and irrigation systems

A common challenge in vineyard management is maintaining the health and quality of the vines amidst pests, diseases and climatic factors. Designed for vineyard owners, vineyard managers and workers, winemakers, enologists and aspiring vineyard professionals, this primarily asynchronous online course explores how to spot these problems and how to prevent or reduce their damage. You’ll learn how to identify and mitigate nutritional deficiencies and diseases in the vineyard, and how integrated pest management can help with these problems and plays a role in organic and biodynamic farming. You’ll also explore larger issues related to climate, such as winter protection in cold climate areas and heat waves and wildfires in warmer environments. By the end of the course, you’ll understand how to control grapevine diseases, weeds, bugs, and larger animal pests, such as deer and birds, as well as how to protect your vines from the weather.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the major diseases of grapevines and design a prevention or mitigation strategy
• Recognize the presence of primary grapevine pests and create a prevention or mitigation strategy
• Apply knowledge of climatic problems to counter their impact on grape quality
• Apply the concepts and parameters of integrated pest management and organic/biodynamic farming techniques to choose an appropriate strategy for specific vineyard application

Skills You Will Gain

• In-depth knowledge of pests and disease control in the vineyard
• How to design and implement mitigation and prevention strategies against common vineyard problems
• Integrated pest management and organic/biodynamic farming techniques