Winemaking Certificate Program

Whether you're interested in a career in the wine industry or are just a devoted oenophile, you can take this unique course from anywhere in the world. Access top-quality, college-level course material in an interactive, web-based environment and gain exposure to an internationally recognized program and instructors, including industry experts and UC Davis faculty. Designed for individuals working in the wine industry and affiliated networks, as well as wine enthusiasts this course explores such topics as the history of wine, fundamentals of the winemaking process, wine and health issues, basic wine tasting, interpreting a wine label and wine-growing regions around the world.

Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate an understanding of the various sensory, analytical and legal criteria used for classification purposes
• Identify key factors important for successful wine grape cultivation
• Understand basic winemaking practices and source of some differences between different wine types
• Recognize the main varieties and wine types as they relate to different countries of the world
• Interpret the meaning of wine labels from different countries
• Evaluate the historical, economic and climatic factors influencing development of the wine industry in the U.S. and the world as a whole
• Distinguish the various sensory attributes commonly used in evaluating wine

Skills You Will Gain

• Grape growing and winemaking fundamentals
• Wine history
• Wine classification
• Interpreting a wine label

This course can be taken as a stand-alone course or as the first course in the Winemaking Certificate Program. Enroll in the course.

Note: The following four classes are limited in size to 50 students to ensure student/instructor interaction.

Unlike Introduction to Wine and Winemaking, these courses expect and require significant interaction with the instructor and fellow students in the form of readings, online discussions and written assignments, which you will submit via the Internet.

Along with a knowledge of wine and winemaking fundamentals, winemakers require an understanding of technical wine production. Through an online, interactive learning environment, this course reviews and explains the principles and practices of producing standard types of wines, with particular emphasis on the methods of vinification and their effect on wine style. Other topics include in-depth discussion of the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations and their management, as well as harvest and processing decisions for various styles of wines and common post-fermentation operations. By the end of this course, students will gain an overview of many technical aspects of wine production with an emphasis on fermentation management and pre-fermentation processes, options and strategies, and explore how the many winemaking decisions affect the resulting wine’s style.

Learning Outcomes

• Comprehend technical reasons behind common winery operations
• Manage yeast and bacteria in wine production
• Understand the microbiological basis for problems occurring in wine production
• Develop plans for treating and correcting problems arising during processing

Skills You Will Gain

• Harvest criteria and impact on wine style
• Must and juice processing
• Yeast and fermentation management
• Malolactic bacteria and ML fermentation management
• Post-fermentation cellar operations

The curriculum of this course is closely based on the curriculum of VEN 124 Wine Production, the classroom-based course offered by the Department of Viticulture and Enology, UC Davis. You will receive the same lecture material as students in VEN 124 with the addition of online case studies augmented by student reports.

Designed for current and future winemakers, this course is focused on wine microbiology and wine analysis and quality control. Students will learn both the theory and practice of winemaking analytical methods, when they should be used and how they impact the critical decision-making moments during winemaking. Through an online learning environment, you will gain an understanding of the parameters of juice, fermentation, wine aging and bottling and how to use them in problem solving. Aspects of microbial control from grape harvest to bottling of wine will also be presented. By the end of this course, students will gain a competency in the theory and evaluation of wine chemical and microbiological analyses and their role in wine quality controls.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the importance and relevance of ongoing quality control throughout the winemaking process
• Recognize the main microorganisms in wine production and spoilage
• Demonstrate how to apply analytical methods used in winemaking
• Employ correct laboratory and quality assurance techniques
• Use systematic and scientific approach for assessing wine qualities that influence winemaking or purchasing decisions

Skills You Will Gain

Wine analysis and quality control

Chemical and microbiological analysis

Grape sampling and pre-fermentation analysis

Color and phenolic measures

Winery sanitation and monitoring

All winemakers and winery owners know that great winemaking begins in the vineyard. This course is designed for winemakers to review how basic viticulture relates to wine production and wine quality. Learn the science behind how wine grapes are grown and study the biological, environmental and managerial factors that influence fruit quality. During the course, you will develop a hypothetical vineyard to meet specific winemaking objectives. Course topics include the importance of quality plant material, soils and cover crops, grapevine diseases and pests, vineyard development and vine nutrition. By the end of the course, you will have an understanding of growing season influences and practices, vineyard design and economic analysis.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand basic botany and vine physiology and how it relates to fruit production, winemaking and wine quality
• Recognize the seasonal vine growing cycle and environmental and management factors that influence grape quality
• Compare management practices and their impact on vineyards and fruit quality while incorporating economic input

Skills You Will Gain

Wine grape botany and physiology

Irrigation concepts and goals

Vineyard design

Combining the two key topics of wine stability and sensory evaluation, this course provides current and future winemakers with an introduction to the science involved in controlling wine stability in bottled wines. Explore various methods for testing and controlling wine stability including: filtration, bitartrate stability, protein instability, metal stability, fining agents, and oxidative and hydrolytic enzymes. Learn the basic anatomy and physiology of the human organoleptic senses as they influence our interaction with wine. In addition, you will be introduced to basic sensory science analyses, such as component recognitions tests, discrimination tests, paired comparisons and triangular tests. By the end of this course, students will have an effective competency in the theory and practice of wine analyses and processes to produce q stable wine product for the marketplace.

Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate the stability of wine and suggest remedial action for problem wines
• Understand and identify the principle mechanisms of sensory perception
• Recognize major faults in wine such as imbalance, oxidation, microbial spoilage and hazes
• Identify the main sensory testing methodology used in the wine industry

Skills You Will Gain

Sensory perception and testing methodology

Juice conditioning

Filtration, absorption and ion exchange principles

Fining of wines

Wine oxidation and browning reactions

Membrane filtration and preparation for bottling