Viticulture 100 Hours Certificate Course

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
• Yeild
• 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

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 proceedures 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 mangement; 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 winemaking process
• Production principles
• Fermentation
• Making white wine
• Making red wine
• Methods

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the Academy, marked by the Academy's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

The quality of this course is second to none, from the in-depth learning you will get to the expert individual mentoring you will receive throughout your studies. The mentors for this course are:

Susan Stephenson

BSc in Applied Plant Biology (Botany) Univ. London 1983.

City and guilds: Garden Centre Management, Management and Interior Decor (1984)

Management qualifications in training with retail store. Diploma in Hort level 2 (RHS General) Distinction.

Susan Stephenson is a passionate and experienced horticulturist and garden designer. She has authored three books, lectures at 2 Further and Higher Education Colleges, teaching people of all ages and backgrounds about the wonders of plants and garden design, and tutors many students by correspondence from all over the world.

Susan studied botany at Royal Holloway College (Univ of London) and worked in the trading industry before returning to her first love plants and garden design. She is therefore, well placed to combine business knowledge with horticulture and design skills. Her experience is wide and varied and she has designed gardens for families and individuals. Susan is a mentor for garden designers who are just starting out, offering her support and advice and she also writes, delivers and assesses courses for colleges, introducing and encouraging people into horticulture and garden design.

In 2010, Susan authored a complete module for a Foundation degree (FDSC) in Arboriculture.

Susan holds the RHS General with Distinction. She continues to actively learn about horticulture and plants and (as her students will tell you) remains passionate and interested in design and horticulture.

Steven Whitaker

Diploma in Garden Design (Distinction) – The Blackford Centre, Gold Certificate of Achievement in Horticulture, Level 2 NVQ in Amenity Horticulture, Level 1 NOCN Introduction to Gardening, – Joseph Priestly College, BTEC Diploma in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Operations (Merit), Trainer Skills 1, & 2, Group trainer, Interview and Selection Skills – Kirby College of Further Education

Steven has a wealth of Horticultural knowledge, having ran his own Design and Build service, Landscaping company, and been a Head Gardener. His awards include five Gold awards at Leeds in Bloom, two Gold awards at Yorkshire in Bloom and The Yorkshire Rose Award for Permanent Landscaping. Steven has worked with TV’s Phil Spencer as his garden advisor on the Channel 4 TV Programme, “Secret Agent”.

He is qualified to Level 2 NVQ in Amenity Horticulture and has a Diploma in Garden Design which he passed with Distinction. Steven’s Tutor and Mentor was the Chelsea Flower Show Gold Award-winning Garden Designer, Tracy Foster. He also works for a major Horticultural Commercial Grower in the field of Propagation and Craft Gardening. Steven lives in Leeds where he is a Freelance Garden Designer and Garden Advice Consultant.