Certificate of Viticulture Vineyard and Grape Production

Are you interested in learning how to grow grapes and about all aspects of viticulture? This course is ideal for those working in vineyards, vineyard managers and winegrowers, as well as hobby farmers, amateur winemakers or anyone aspiring to work in this industry.

The Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production is an online professional development program that will explore the nature and scope of the viticulture industry, grape varieties, vineyard establishment, grapevine culture, harvesting, selling and winemaking.

In this viticulture course, you will learn how to choose an appropriate site for a vineyard, considering soil quality and appropriate grape varieties for different situations.

You will also learn the basic principles of winemaking, how to devise a procedure to establish a vineyard, from the harvest and post-harvest treatment of grapes to successful marketing strategies for vineyard products.

On completion of this course, you will feel confident to plan a venture into starting a winery business or pursue a career in the viticulture industry.

Printed learning materials may be available free to print for this course. Requests can be made by contacting us.

Course Structure

Unit - Viticulture

Unit 1 – Introduction

Nature and scope of the viticulture industry both locally and worldwide
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

Unit 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

Unit 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 rootstocks
Purchasing plants
Phylloxera

Unit 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

Unit 5 – Grapevine Culture Part A (Training and 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

Unit 6 – Grapevine Culture Part B (Weeds, Pests and 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 leaffolder
Grapevine rust mite
Grape blossom midge
Flea beetles
Birds and arge animals
Disease control in vineyards
Fungal diseases; rots; mildew; eutypa dieback 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

Unit 7 – Grapevine Culture Part C (Irrigation and 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

Unit 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

Unit 9 – Harvesting and 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

Unit 10 – Wine

Basic principles of wine making
Overview of winemaking process
Production principles
Fermentation
Making white wine
Making red wine
Methods

Estimated Duration

50 hours

Course Delivery and Start

Start anytime, self-paced and 100% online

Assessment

Assessment will be comprised of written exercises, including short-answer questions, reflective tasks, short reports and/or projects. There are no examinations or due dates for assessment. As a result, you can complete training in your own time and at your own pace with the assistance of unlimited tutor support.

Approval and Recognition

Australian Online Courses Pty Ltd is an approved and recognised member of IARC. The IARC is an International association that recognises quality and excellence in tertiary education providers.

Career Outcomes

Professional Development for:

Hobby Farmers
Vineyard Managers
Amateur Wine Makers

I had a very positive experience while completing this certificate with Australian Online Course, and I would like to especially thank my tutor, who was able to guide me effectively.

Nils

New Caledonia

Certificate of Winemaking (Oenology)

April 2026

My experience studying with Australian Online Courses has been both helpful and beneficial. The course content was clear, practical, and easy to follow, allowing me to build useful skills that I can apply in real-world situations. Overall, it was a worthwhile learning experience.

Hugh

Scone, NSW

Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production

April 2026

This guide is exceptionally easy to follow, making the learning process smooth and straightforward. The documentation is well-crafted, engaging, and enjoyable to read, which helps in retaining the information easily. Overall, it provides a very pleasant and positive experience for anyone looking to understand the material and memorise the key points effortlessly.

Alessandro

North Adelaide, SA

and Beverages, Sommelier Essentials: Wine, Spirits and Beverages, Spirits

February 2026

The data in the course itself was very useful and well explained. The assessments that come with the course ask the right questions. They make sure you have to understand the subject in order to give a correct answer.

Tuur

Roeselare

Advanced Certificate of Viticulture and Winemaking Oenology

December 2025

This course gave me a good insight and understanding of the basics of Viticulture and Oenology. I now have a good understanding of each module and this will definitely help me with my studies further on. It is an easy website to work with and all assignments and sources are easy to access. Tutor support was always there and fast to reply.

Karla

Framesby, Port Elizabeth, WA

Advanced Certificate of Viticulture and Winemaking Oenology

December 2025

Was a great experience! The course information was excellent, I learnt so much from the information, more than I ever expected. It makes me feel more comfortable for next steps in the viticulture direction. With the way it was set up, you could learn and answer questions as you went which I think deepened my knowledge and understanding.

Lucy

Rivervale, WA

Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production

December 2025

My experience was good, the course is well organised and it is easy for the students to understand.

Claire

Davis, California

Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production

October 2024

I selected the AOC course on wine making because I thought the course description seemed to cover the subject well enough to not be superficial but in depth enough not to be extremely technical. It was ideal for me.

Don

Thirroul, NSW

Certificate of Winemaking (Oenology)

June 2024

Engaging in online learning at my own pace was straightforward and I found the course enjoyable. Its content will undoubtedly contribute to our future endeavors.

Kim

Melrose, TAS

Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production

May 2024

Informative, well organised, and support for students was readily available.

Mary

Charlston, SA

Advanced Certificate of Viticulture and Winemaking Oenology

March 2024

The course content was thoroughly compelling and the assessments challenging and set up to foster broad thinking and learning.

Gordon

Ellenbrook, WA

Advanced Certificate of Viticulture and Winemaking Oenology

January 2024

The overall experience was interesting, edifying and rewarding. I found the content and assignment to be of a very high standard – definitely not easy! The fact that you can’t simply rely on the course notes but have to do a lot of your own research and compile your own information to complete the assignment is a great way of deepening the knowledge gained and making students think for themselves.

Grant

Artarmon, NSW

Advanced Certificate of Viticulture and Winemaking Oenology

January 2024

Course material was good, objectives were clear, and when I needed customer service it was always quick.

K. Rudd

Bear River, Nova Scotia, Canada

Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production

June 2023

The course was very well set out with emphasis on the basic of winemaking which allowed me to gain a good foundation of knowledge before undertaking the more complex aspects of the assignments. I found the content clear and all instructions easy to follow. Whenever I had a query it was answered in full and within 24 hours. Overall I was very satisfied with the course and the degree of learning I have obtained

S. Burke

Balingup, WA

Certificate of Winemaking (Oenology)

March 2023

So easy to access from any computer, great content and overall learnt a lot

G. Littore

Mildura, VIC

Advanced Certificate of Viticulture and Winemaking Oenology

January 2023

I really enjoyed the course. The core material was really well written (not always for the Australian climate, but that’s where the additional research was required and easy with Google!). I feel more equipped to now tackle our little vineyard and thankful the knowledge I have now gained.

T. Adamczyk

Coghills Creek, VIC

Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production

October 2022

It was a good experience to be able to pace myself throughout the course when time suited. The support, when needed was quick, clear and valuable

J. Peters

Kellyville, NSW

Certificate of Viticulture – Vineyard and Grape Production

May 2022

The course provided good foundation information. The assignments were thought provoking. I learned a lot from this course.

K. Nelson

Apple Tree Flat, NSW

Certificate of Winemaking (Oenology)

March 2022

The course was well set out, I didn’t need much support for the course, as I had most knowledge about the course, but if I did the tutors were always there for me

B. Corker

Wangaratta, VIC

Certificate of Viticulture – Wine Production

January 2021

Certificate of Viticulture Vineyard and Grape Production

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