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Viticulture

Overview Degrees/Certificates Courses Faculty

Associate Degree

A.S. in Viticulture and Enology

This program will provide foundational knowledge and skills for the next generation of wine-grape growers and wine producers in the Sierra Nevada foothills region of northern California. The program offers introductory training appropriate for local and regional wine-related employment opportunities and for further training at 4-year programs in viticulture and enology. Students will gain fundamental skills that will help prepare them to maintain and manage a wine grape vineyard, the wine production process, and an introduction to business methods used to promote and market grapes and/or wine.

Catalog Date: January 1, 2025

Degree Requirements

Course Code Course Title Units
VITI 300 Viticulture and Enology 3
VITI 301 Viticulture Practices from Bud Break to Harvest 3
VITI 303 Viticulture Practices from Harvest through Dormancy 3
VITI 304 Wine Component Tasting, Hospitality and Service, and Food Pairing 3
VITI 308 Fruit to Wine - Enology 3
A minimum of 9 units from the following: 9
CHEM 305 Introduction to Chemistry (5)
   or CHEM 400 General Chemistry I (5)
BIOL 310 General Biology (4)
   or BIOL 400 Principles of Biology (5)
A minimum of 1.5 units from the following: 1.5
VITI 305 Wines of the World (1.5)
VITI 306 Wines of California (1.5)
VITI 307 Wines of the Sierra Foothills (1.5)
A minimum of 6 units from the following: 6
BUS 300 Introduction to Business (3)
BUS 350 Small Business Management/Entrepreneurship (3)
SPAN 401 Elementary Spanish I (4)
Total Units: 31.5

The Viticulture and Enology Associate in Science (A.S.) degree may be obtained by completion of the required program, plus the local FLC General Education Requirement, plus sufficient electives to meet a 60-unit total. See FLC graduation requirements.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • assist in the management of a wine grape vineyard including maintenance of vineyard rows, implementation of integrated pest management plan, and evaluation of grapes for wine production.
  • assist in the production and marketing of the vineyard grapes and/or a wineries wines.
  • analyze and appraise wine for its faults and desirable qualities.
  • assist in maintaining a winery's tasting room with hospitality services and wine and food pairings.

Career Information

Technical jobs as assistant vineyard manager, assistant winemaker, cellar worker, and laboratory technician. Non-technical jobs as event manager, logistics coordinator, sales representative, and tasting room associate.

Certificate

Small Winery Marketing Certificate

The program offers comprehensive marketing and management training and workforce development to wine growers, vintners and tasting room operators in the El Dorado and Amador wine areas.

Catalog Date: January 1, 2025

Certificate Requirements

Course Code Course Title Units
BUSTEC 332 Integrated Business Projects 3
BUSTEC 363 Introduction to Electronic Spreadsheets 1
MKT 300 Principles of Marketing 3
VITI 304 Wine Component Tasting, Hospitality and Service, and Food Pairing 3
VITI 306 Wines of California (1.5) 1.5
VITI 307 Wines of the Sierra Foothills 1.5
A minimum of 2 units from the following: 2
WEXP 498 Work Experience in (Subject) (0.5 - 4)
Total Units: 15

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  • record, classify, summarize and report the business transactions of an organization.
  • develop a comprehensive winery marketing plan.
  • evaluate the benefits of using a variety of marketing tools including advertising, publicity, social media marketing and customer relationship marketing.
  • identify marketing techniques used to create high velocity sales including online tools, social marketing and customer relationship marketing tools.

Career Information

Winery tasting room coordinator Winery social marketing associate Winery event coordinator Winery customer relationship specialist