Learn the art of viticulture in this online course

If you want to start your own vineyard, or you need to renovate an existing one, or if you work in the industry, or maybe you are just interested in growing grapes. Whatever the reason is, this viticulture course tackles all that and more. This online viticulture course will teach you everything you need to know about producing grapes such as the way to choose the suitable soil, the appropriate grape variety to plant, the way to establish a vineyard, and more.

 

This viticulture course focuses strongly on the horticultural aspects of growing grapes,  you will study grape varieties – which variety is best for your location?, soils and climates – how does soil and climate affect grape quality?, how to establish a vineyard, how to prune and train vines,  how to manage pests and diseases, marketing and much more.

  • Develop your ability to select and cultivate appropriate varieties of grapes in different situations.
  • Learn to make informed decisions about the management of a vineyard.
  • Improve your job prospects and career in viticulture.
  • 100 hr self paced study.
  • Study with experienced tutors. 

Who is this viticulture course for?

This course is for anyone working with viticulture commercially as well as those who want to run a vineyard as a hobby.  The course covers establishment of new vineyards as well as the maintenance of existing vineyards.

How does the course work?

This viticulture course is offered online (printed notes available)  It comes with tutor guidance and support along the way.  Interest free payment plans start from $25/week.  There is 12 months to finish the course so you can work at your own pace.

Course Outline

There are 10 lessons in this course:

  1. Introduction
    • Nature and scope of the viticulture industry both locally and world wide
    • Global viticulture
    • Major winegrowing areas around the world
    • The grape; genera and species
    • Rootstocks
    • Classification of grape varieties
    • Table grapes
    • Wine grapes
    • Dried fruit
    • Juice grapes
    • Canned grapes
  2. Climate and Soils
    • Suitable climate and soil conditions for vineyard site establishment
    • Temperature; temperature calculations; latitude-temperature index and degree days
    • Sunlight
    • Rainfall
    • Soil; soil types and wine regions; understanding soils; texture; characteristics; soil structure; chemical characteristics of soils including pH and nutrient levels
    • Understanding plant nutrition
    • Soil water content
    • Simple soil tests; naming the soil
    • Problems with soil; erosion; salinity; structural decline; soil acidification; chemical residues
  3. Selecting Grape Varieties
    • Appropriate grape varieties for different situations.
    • Grape types
    • Selection considerations
    • Matching the variety with the site
    • Varietal characteristics
    • Selecting wine grapes
    • Yield
    • Reviewing important varieties; chenin blanc; chardonnay; semillion; muscat ottonel; muscadelle; gewurztraminer; cabernet sauvignon; carignan
    • Vitis rotundifolia
    • Wine grapes; raisin grapes; juice grapes
    • Importance of root stocks
    • Purchasing plants
    • Phylloxera
  4. Vineyard Establishment
    • Procedure to establish a vineyard
    • Vineyard planning
    • Site planning
    • Vineyard layout
    • Site preparation
    • Planting the vines
    • Vine spacing
    • Shelter belts
    • Crop infrastructure
    • Equipment
  5. Grapevine Culture Part A (Training & Pruning)
    • Techniques used in the culture of grape vines
    • Pruning and training vines
    • Shoot spacing
    • Bud numbers
    • Vine spacing
    • How much to prune
    • Machine pruning
    • Summer pruning
    • Combination pruning
    • Pruning sultana vines
    • Trellising
    • Trellis construction
    • Guyot system
    • Geneva double curtain system
    • Head training
    • Cordoning
    • Kniffen systems
    • Umbrella kniffen system
    • Pergola training system
  6. Grapevine Culture Part B (Weeds, Pests & Diseases)
    • Types of weeds
    • Controlling weeds
    • Safety procedures when using agricultural chemicals
    • Laws and guidelines
    • Types of chemicals
    • Weed management before planting
    • Weed management in new vineyards
    • Weed management in established vineyards
    • Integrated pest management
    • Pest control in vineyards
    • Grape berry moth
    • Grape mealy bug
    • Grape leaf folder
    • Grapevine rust mite
    • Grape blossom midge
    • Flea beetles
    • Birds and large animals
    • Disease control in vineyards
    • Fungal diseases; rots; mildew; eutypa die back etc
    • Bacterial diseases
    • Viruses
    • Organic culture of grapes; organic pest and disease control
    • Companion plants
    • Managing environmental problems including air, water, damage, frost, hail, wind and shade
    • Water management; runoff; water saving
    • Grape clones and varieties
  7. Grapevine Culture Part C (Irrigation & Feeding)
    • Irrigating and feeding grapes
    • Excessive irrigation
    • Seasonal effects of irrigation
    • Drip irrigation
    • Monitoring and timing
    • Feasibility of irrigation
    • Design considerations
    • Soil and water
    • Measuring water available to plants
    • Calculating permanent wilting point
    • Calculating field capacity of a vineyard
    • Available moisture range
    • Measuring air filled porosity
    • Tensiometer
    • Estimating water
    • Rate of growth
    • Climate
    • Drainage in vineyards; improving subsoil and surface drainage; subsurface drainage
    • Soil fertility; choice of fertilizer; timing of application; fertigation
  8. Improving Grape Quality
    • Ways to ensure or improve grape quality.
    • Plant stock
    • Crop management
    • Post harvest impact on quality
    • Improving flower and fruit set
    • Second set
    • Girdling
    • Berry thinning
  9. Harvesting & Selling
    • Procedure for harvest and post-harvest treatment
    • Harvesting
    • Testing for ripeness
    • Influence of weather
    • Harvesting techniques
    • Selling grapes
    • Vineyard resume
    • Selling grapes
    • Marketing contracts
    • Selling online
    • Developing a marketing plan
    • Advertising
    • Market research
    • Legal considerations with marketing
  10. Wine
    • Basic principles of wine making
    • Overview of wine making process
    • Production principles
    • Fermentation
    • Making white wine
    • Making red wine
    • Methods

Enrol Now

  • Experienced Tutor support
  • Certificate sent to you
  • Online study (Printed notes available)
  • Self paced - no set timetable
  • 12 months to complete course

From: $35.00 / week for 19 weeks

Clear

Send me a free info pack

    CourseStream Accreditation.
    Accredited courses.

     

    Enrol Now

    • Experienced Tutor support
    • Certificate sent to you
    • Online study (Printed notes available)
    • Self paced - no set timetable
    • 12 months to complete course

    From: $35.00 / week for 19 weeks

    Clear

    Send me a free info pack

      CourseStream Accreditation.
      Accredited courses.
      GET YOUR FREE INFO PACK

       

      Learn the art of viticulture in this online course

      If you want to start your own vineyard, or you need to renovate an existing one, or if you work in the industry, or maybe you are just interested in growing grapes. Whatever the reason is, this viticulture course tackles all that and more. This online viticulture course will teach you everything you need to know about producing grapes such as the way to choose the suitable soil, the appropriate grape variety to plant, the way to establish a vineyard, and more.

       

      This viticulture course focuses strongly on the horticultural aspects of growing grapes,  you will study grape varieties – which variety is best for your location?, soils and climates – how does soil and climate affect grape quality?, how to establish a vineyard, how to prune and train vines,  how to manage pests and diseases, marketing and much more.

      • Develop your ability to select and cultivate appropriate varieties of grapes in different situations.
      • Learn to make informed decisions about the management of a vineyard.
      • Improve your job prospects and career in viticulture.
      • 100 hr self paced study.
      • Study with experienced tutors. 

      Who is this viticulture course for?

      This course is for anyone working with viticulture commercially as well as those who want to run a vineyard as a hobby.  The course covers establishment of new vineyards as well as the maintenance of existing vineyards.

      How does the course work?

      This viticulture course is offered online (printed notes available)  It comes with tutor guidance and support along the way.  Interest free payment plans start from $25/week.  There is 12 months to finish the course so you can work at your own pace.

      Course Outline

      There are 10 lessons in this course:

      1. Introduction
        • Nature and scope of the viticulture industry both locally and world wide
        • Global viticulture
        • Major winegrowing areas around the world
        • The grape; genera and species
        • Rootstocks
        • Classification of grape varieties
        • Table grapes
        • Wine grapes
        • Dried fruit
        • Juice grapes
        • Canned grapes
      2. Climate and Soils
        • Suitable climate and soil conditions for vineyard site establishment
        • Temperature; temperature calculations; latitude-temperature index and degree days
        • Sunlight
        • Rainfall
        • Soil; soil types and wine regions; understanding soils; texture; characteristics; soil structure; chemical characteristics of soils including pH and nutrient levels
        • Understanding plant nutrition
        • Soil water content
        • Simple soil tests; naming the soil
        • Problems with soil; erosion; salinity; structural decline; soil acidification; chemical residues
      3. Selecting Grape Varieties
        • Appropriate grape varieties for different situations.
        • Grape types
        • Selection considerations
        • Matching the variety with the site
        • Varietal characteristics
        • Selecting wine grapes
        • Yield
        • Reviewing important varieties; chenin blanc; chardonnay; semillion; muscat ottonel; muscadelle; gewurztraminer; cabernet sauvignon; carignan
        • Vitis rotundifolia
        • Wine grapes; raisin grapes; juice grapes
        • Importance of root stocks
        • Purchasing plants
        • Phylloxera
      4. Vineyard Establishment
        • Procedure to establish a vineyard
        • Vineyard planning
        • Site planning
        • Vineyard layout
        • Site preparation
        • Planting the vines
        • Vine spacing
        • Shelter belts
        • Crop infrastructure
        • Equipment
      5. Grapevine Culture Part A (Training & Pruning)
        • Techniques used in the culture of grape vines
        • Pruning and training vines
        • Shoot spacing
        • Bud numbers
        • Vine spacing
        • How much to prune
        • Machine pruning
        • Summer pruning
        • Combination pruning
        • Pruning sultana vines
        • Trellising
        • Trellis construction
        • Guyot system
        • Geneva double curtain system
        • Head training
        • Cordoning
        • Kniffen systems
        • Umbrella kniffen system
        • Pergola training system
      6. Grapevine Culture Part B (Weeds, Pests & Diseases)
        • Types of weeds
        • Controlling weeds
        • Safety procedures when using agricultural chemicals
        • Laws and guidelines
        • Types of chemicals
        • Weed management before planting
        • Weed management in new vineyards
        • Weed management in established vineyards
        • Integrated pest management
        • Pest control in vineyards
        • Grape berry moth
        • Grape mealy bug
        • Grape leaf folder
        • Grapevine rust mite
        • Grape blossom midge
        • Flea beetles
        • Birds and large animals
        • Disease control in vineyards
        • Fungal diseases; rots; mildew; eutypa die back etc
        • Bacterial diseases
        • Viruses
        • Organic culture of grapes; organic pest and disease control
        • Companion plants
        • Managing environmental problems including air, water, damage, frost, hail, wind and shade
        • Water management; runoff; water saving
        • Grape clones and varieties
      7. Grapevine Culture Part C (Irrigation & Feeding)
        • Irrigating and feeding grapes
        • Excessive irrigation
        • Seasonal effects of irrigation
        • Drip irrigation
        • Monitoring and timing
        • Feasibility of irrigation
        • Design considerations
        • Soil and water
        • Measuring water available to plants
        • Calculating permanent wilting point
        • Calculating field capacity of a vineyard
        • Available moisture range
        • Measuring air filled porosity
        • Tensiometer
        • Estimating water
        • Rate of growth
        • Climate
        • Drainage in vineyards; improving subsoil and surface drainage; subsurface drainage
        • Soil fertility; choice of fertilizer; timing of application; fertigation
      8. Improving Grape Quality
        • Ways to ensure or improve grape quality.
        • Plant stock
        • Crop management
        • Post harvest impact on quality
        • Improving flower and fruit set
        • Second set
        • Girdling
        • Berry thinning
      9. Harvesting & Selling
        • Procedure for harvest and post-harvest treatment
        • Harvesting
        • Testing for ripeness
        • Influence of weather
        • Harvesting techniques
        • Selling grapes
        • Vineyard resume
        • Selling grapes
        • Marketing contracts
        • Selling online
        • Developing a marketing plan
        • Advertising
        • Market research
        • Legal considerations with marketing
      10. Wine
        • Basic principles of wine making
        • Overview of wine making process
        • Production principles
        • Fermentation
        • Making white wine
        • Making red wine
        • Methods

      Enrol Now

      • Experienced Tutor support
      • Certificate sent to you
      • Online study (Printed notes available)
      • Self paced - no set timetable
      • 12 months to complete course

      From: $35.00 / week for 19 weeks

      Clear

       

      Get a Free Info Pack!

        CourseStream Accreditation.
        Accredited courses.