Agricultural Sciences Bldg. (11), Room 217
Phone: 805.756.7308; Fax: 805.756.1335
https://wvit.calpoly.edu/
Department Head: Benoit Lecat
Academic Programs
| Program name | Program type |
|---|---|
| Wine and Viticulture | BS |
Professional positions within the grape and wine industry are multi-dimensional, where winemakers and winegrape-growers work together with wine marketing and sales personnel. To develop successful strategies, management teams need to understand all aspects of wine.
The WVIT major provides a unique interdisciplinary learning experience, combining a solid foundation in winegrape production, winemaking, and wine business with a concentration in enology, viticulture or wine business. With a campus located in the heart of California's Central Coast wine country, Cal Poly students have the added benefit of gaining hands-on experience at one of more than 400 local vineyards and wineries. The WVIT major is based on fundamental and applied sciences, modern agribusiness principles, and appropriate social sciences. The curriculum encompasses winegrape cultivation, enology, sensory science, and wine business and fosters an academic alliance among production agriculture, food -science, and agricultural business interests to provide an academic understanding of the "vine to glass" philosophy.
Cal Poly has a 14-acre campus vineyard, a state-of-the-art facility, the JUSTIN & J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture and a wine sales program that provide students the opportunity to practice our "learn-by-doing" method of education.
Undergraduate Program
BS Wine and Viticulture
The major is based on fundamental and applied sciences, modern agribusiness principles, and appropriate social sciences. The curriculum encompasses winegrape cultivation, enology, and wine business and fosters an academic alliance among production agriculture, food science, and agricultural business interests to provide an academic understanding of the “vine to glass”.
Concentrations
Enology
The science of winemaking and its creative and practical application. Students monitor and assess wines and winemaking choices using sensory, chemical and microbiological analyses. Graduates are able to make creative winemaking decisions, manage a winery and provide successful solutions to winemaking challenges.
Viticulture
Intensive training in all aspects of quality wine grape production. Students learn site evaluation and vine-yard development, disease and pest management, sustain-ability, and state-of-the-art cultural practices. Graduates typically become vineyard managers, pest control advisors, or vineyard owners.
Wine Business
Students learn financial management, principles of vineyard and winery operations, strategic planning, branded wine marketing, packaging, wine consumer behavior, and government compliance. Graduates are prepared for a variety of wine industry careers, with many planning to operate vineyards or wineries of their own.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
Graduate Program
Cal Poly offers a Master of Science degree in Agriculture in which students can choose a thesis topic in enology, viticulture or wine business. Please refer to the MS Agriculture section of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences.
- WVIT
How to Read Course Descriptions
WVIT Courses
WVIT101. Orientation to Wine and Viticulture.1 unit
Term Typically Offered: TBD
CR/NC
Introduction to the wine and viticulture program. Emphasis on curriculum and career planning. Credit/No Credit grading only. 1 lecture.
WVIT102. Global Wine and Viticulture.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Introduction to wine grape growing, winemaking, and wine business. Brief history and overview of major global wine regions, including growing conditions, grape varieties, winemaking styles, and wine business practices. 4 lectures.
WVIT202. Fundamentals of Enology.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Prerequisite: CHEM 111 or CHEM127.
Introduction to the science of winemaking: development of wine components in grapes, grape maturation, harvesting, pre-fermentation wine-making methods, alcoholic fermentation, malolactic fermentation, wine maturation and post fermentation practices, wine spoilage, maintenance of wine integrity. 4 lectures.
WVIT233. Basic Viticulture.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F, W
Prerequisite: PLSC120 or BOT121; CHEM127; and SS120.
Fundamentals of grape growing, with emphasis on wine grapes. Fundamentals of vine anatomy and physiology, development and phenology, trellising systems, soils, climatic factors, vineyard establishment, grafting, irrigation, fertility, harvest practices, pruning, major pests, and major varieties and rootstocks. Not open to students with credit in WVIT 231. Course may be offered in classroom-based or online format. 4 lectures. Crosslisted as PLSC232/WVIT233. Formerly AEPS 232/WVIT233.
WVIT270. Selected Topics.1-4 units
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Open to undergraduate students and consent of instructor.
Directed group study of selected topics. The Class Schedule will list topic selected. Total credit limited to 8 units. 1 to 4 lectures.
WVIT300. Survey of Grape Growing and Winemaking.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F, W, SP
2020-21 or later: Upper-Div GE Area B
2019-20 or earlier catalog: GE Area B5, B6, or B7
Prerequisite: Junior standing; completion of GE Area A with grades of C- or better; one course from GE Area B1; one course from GE Area B2; and one course in GE Area B4 with a grade of C- or better (GE Area B1 for students on the 2019-20 or earlier catalogs).
Fundamentals of viticulture and enology. Overview of grapevine physiology, major varieties, soils, climatic factors, management practices and wine regions of the world. Exploration of wine fermentation, finishing, aging, bottling and wine chemistry. Compare red, white, sparkling and fortified wine production. Not open to students with credit in WVIT202 or WVIT233. 4 lectures. Fulfills GE Area Upper-Division B (GE Areas B5, B6, or B7 for students on the 2019-20 catalog).
WVIT301. Wine Microbiology.4 units
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: MCRO majors must have MCRO224; WVIT majors must have MCRO221 or MCRO224; and WVIT202; open to MCRO or WVIT majors only.
Wine yeasts, bacteria, and molds: morphology and methods of identification; successful alcoholic and malolactic fermentations; management and prevention of unwanted microbial growth; micro-organisms and flavor development. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory. Crosslisted as MCRO/WVIT301.
WVIT302. Wine Fermentation Laboratory.2 units
Term Typically Offered: W, SP
Prerequisite: WVIT202; WVIT major; and at least 18 years in age.
Alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, maturation, stabilization and bottling of finished wines. Not open to students with credit in WVIT404, WVIT405 or WVIT406. 1 lecture, 1 laboratory.
WVIT331. Advanced Viticulture - Fall.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: PLSC232 or WVIT233.
Advanced viticulture theory and practice, with an emphasis on fall season activities. Identification of rootstocks, wine and table grapes, species taxonomy and diversity, and breeding for grapevine improvement. Field trips may be required. Course may be offered in classroom-based or online format. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory. Crosslisted as PLSC/WVIT331. Formerly AEPS/WVIT331.
WVIT332. Advanced Viticulture - Winter.4 units
Term Typically Offered: W
Prerequisite: PLSC232 or WVIT233; and PLSC/WVIT331.
Advanced viticulture theory and practice with emphasis on winter season activities. Pruning to influence vine balance, productivity, training and trellising systems, vineyard establishment, cover cropping and weed management. Field trips required. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory. Crosslisted as PLSC336/WVIT332. Formerly AEPS 336/WVIT332.
WVIT333. Advanced Viticulture - Spring.4 units
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: PLSC232 or WVIT233; and PLSC/WVIT331.
Advanced viticulture theory and practices with emphasis on spring activities. Vine source/sink relations, factors impacting yield and berry composition, the role environmental conditions on vine physiology, and canopy management. Field trips required. Course may be offered in classroom-based or online format. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory. Crosslisted as PLSC337/WVIT333. Formerly AEPS 337/WVIT333.
WVIT339. Internship Wine and Viticulture.1-12 units
Term Typically Offered: F,W,SP,SU
CR/NC
Prerequisite: WVIT202; AEPS/WVIT 231 or WVIT 232 or WVIT233; junior standing; and consent of internship instructor.
One or two quarters spent with an approved wine industry employer engaged in wine production or related agribusiness and viticulture activities. Applying and developing production and managerial skills and abilities. One unit of credit may be allowed for each full week of completed and reported internship. Total Major credit limited to 6 units. Total credit limited to 12 units. Credit/No Credit grading only.
WVIT343. Branded Wine Marketing.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F, W, SP
Prerequisite: AGB212 or ECON201 or ECON221 or ECON222.
Wine pricing as it relates to quality, packaging, and service. Distribution options with emphasis on the three tier system, promotional strategies, including public relations, mass media advertising, personal selling, and direct marketing. Domestic and international marketplaces. 4 lectures.
WVIT344. Direct to Consumer Wine Sales.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: WVIT or RPTA major. Co-requisite: AGB212 or ECON201 or ECON221 or ECON222.
Factors driving direct-to-consumer initiatives in the US wine business: tasting rooms, wine clubs/mailing lists, eCommerce, telemarketing, and events. Using current research and case studies to explore features of a direct-to-consumer approach, while facilitating compliance. Topics include: experiential marketing, social media, brand differentiation. 4 lectures.
WVIT345. Wine Marketing Research and Market Analysis.4 units
Term Typically Offered: W
Prerequisite: STAT217 or STAT218; and WVIT343.
Application of statistical theory to design research to examine the wine and grape markets. Research examining the evaluation of appropriate data collection methods, quantitative analyses, and interpretation of primary and secondary wine and grape industry data. 4 lectures. Formerly WVIT 444.
WVIT346. Winery Digital Media Marketing and Data Analytics.4 units
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: AGB260 and WVIT343.
Development of digital marketing skills (audio and video) and techniques to produce content for wineries and evaluate results. Emphasis on regulatory restrictions in wine marketing, return on investment strategy, optimization and analytic metrics and customer acquisition costs. Course may be offered in classroom-based or online format. 4 lectures.
WVIT365. Wine Analysis and Amelioration.4 units
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: WVIT202 and CHEM312; for WVIT majors only. Corequisite: CHEM 313 or CHEM314.
Winery laboratory practices. Basic principles, techniques, and interpretation of common analyses for sugars, acidity, nitrogen, alcohol, volatile acidity, sulfur dioxide, phenols and color; wine and must amelioration, amendment effects, usage, calculations and procedures of addition. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.
WVIT400. Special Problems for Advanced Undergraduates.1-4 units
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Individual investigation, research, studies, or surveys of selected problems. Total credit limited to 6 units, with a maximum of 4 units per quarter.
WVIT404. Winemaking I.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: WVIT202; WVIT365; WVIT major; and at least 18 years in age.
Planning, managing and implementing harvest in the pilot winery; sanitation practices; monitoring grape maturity; handling juices and musts; alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, general cellar practices; sensory and laboratory analyses. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.
WVIT405. Winemaking II.4 units
Term Typically Offered: W
Prerequisite: WVIT404; WVIT major; and at least 18 years in age.
Planning, managing and implementing harvest in the pilot winery; sanitation practices; monitoring and maintaining wine integrity; planning for bottling; blending trials; general cellar practices; sensory and laboratory analyses. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.
WVIT406. Winemaking III.4 units
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: WVIT405; WVIT major; and at least 18 years in age.
Planning, managing and implementing the preparation of wine for bottling; blending; fining; filtration; bottling; conducting general cellar practices; sensory and laboratory analyses. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.
WVIT414. Grape Pest Management.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: PLSC232 or WVIT233; PLSC313; BOT/PLSC323.
Comprehensive survey of major grape pests including diseases, insects, weeds, vertebrates, and nematodes. Identification and biology of grape pests and natural enemies, monitoring, and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, including cultural, biological, and chemical controls. Guest lectures. 3 lectures, 1 activity. Crosslisted as PLSC/WVIT414. Formerly AEPS/WVIT414.
WVIT423. Wine Law and Compliance.4 units
Term Typically Offered: W, SP
Prerequisite: WVIT343.
Legal aspects of wine making/marketing. Emphasis of both Federal (Tax and Trade Bureau) and State business requirements as well as State and Federal regulations impacting winery and viticultural practices in California. 4 lectures.
WVIT428. Winegrape Vineyard Management.4 units
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: AGB214, SS221 and WVIT233. Recommended: WVIT331, WVIT332, and WVIT333.
Winegrape vineyard management practices including: financial projections and budgeting, contracting and supervision of labor, trellis installation and repair, irrigation systems maintenance, fertilization and spray scheduling. Field trips required. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.
WVIT433. Wine Sales and E-Commerce.4 units
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: WVIT343.
Professional selling in the wine industry. Selling wine through the seven avenues of wine distribution in the 3-tier system. Exploration of aspects of wine selling, from customer relation management to cultural and legal differences among states. How strategies for selling differ for various sized wineries. 4 lectures.
WVIT442. Sensory Evaluation of Wine.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F, W, SU
Prerequisite: WVIT202; STAT218; WVIT major; and at least 18 years in age.
Evaluation of wines using the techniques in sensory evaluation. Difference and rating tests; descriptive analysis and pairing of wine and food. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.
WVIT447. Logistics for the Global Wine Industry.4 units
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: WVIT102; WVIT343; and STAT218.
Scope and elements of the international wine logistics system including supply and distribution channels, transportation, inventory, warehousing, packaging and order processing. 4 lectures.
WVIT450. Wine Business Plan Development.4 units
Term Typically Offered: W
Prerequisite: AGB214 or BUS214; and BUS301 or WVIT343.
The strategic planning process for wine businesses. Development of a complete business plan with careful adherence to the unique and complex regulations that apply to wine businesses. The business plan will include specification of the product, distribution, finance, and marketing. 4 lectures.
WVIT460. Senior Project - Wine Business.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Prerequisite: Senior standing; WVIT Major; WVIT343; and one of the following: WVIT345 or WVIT450.
Selection and analysis of wine and viticulture business problems and opportunities in directed group-based projects. Problems typical to those that graduates may encounter in marketing and management in the wine and viticulture industry. Formal report and presentation required. 4 lectures.
WVIT463. Issues, Trends and Careers in the Wine Industry.2 units
Term Typically Offered: W, SP
Prerequisite: Senior standing; WVIT majors only.
Current issues and trends in viticulture, enology and wine business. Career opportunities and planning for WVIT majors nearing graduation. 2 seminars.
WVIT464. Senior Project - Enology and Viticulture.4 units
Term Typically Offered: F, W, SP
Prerequisite: Senior standing; and STAT218.
Completion of a research proposal and comprehensive literature review, including analysis of experimental results from published peer-reviewed articles in enology and/or viticulture. Written and oral presentations. 4 lectures.
WVIT465. Senior Project - Research Experience in Enology or Viticulture.2 units
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Senior standing; STAT218; and consent of instructor.
Involvement in the experimental design, execution, data analysis and reporting of research under the direct supervision of faculty. Completion of several critiques of current peer-reviewed journal articles in enology and/or viticulture. Total credit limited to 4 units.
WVIT470. Selected Advanced Topics.1-4 units
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Directed group study of selected topics for advanced students. Open to undergraduate and graduate students. The Class Schedule will list topic selected. Total credit limited to 8 units. 1 to 4 lectures.
WVIT471. Selected Advanced Laboratory.1-4 units
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Directed group laboratory study of selected topics for advanced students. Open to undergraduate and graduate students. The Class Schedule will list topic selected. Total credit limited to 8 units. 1 to 4 laboratories.
WVIT477. Advanced Wine Sensory Analysis.4 units
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: WVIT301; WVIT442; and at least 18 years in age.
Advanced sensory evaluation of wines. Human physiology and wine chemistry in the interphase of wine sensory analysis. Wine varieties and styles, including selected appellations of Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and United States. 3 lectures, 1 laboratory.
Luis Federico Casassa
B.S., Cuyo National University, Mendoza, Argentina, 2004; M.S., 2007; Ph.D. Washington State University, 2013.
Michael J. Costello
B.S., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 1981; Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1992. Pest Control Advisor. Pest Control Advisor.
Shunping Ding
B.S., Henan University, China, 2010; M.S. The University of Hong Kong, 2013; Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2018.
Terry Lease
B.S., Wake Forrest University, 1983; M.Tax Baylor University, 1985, PhD. University of Southern California 1996
Benoit Lecat
M.S., Graduate School of Business Students, KULeuven, Belgium, 2000; Ph.D., FUCAM, branch of LOUVAIN School of Management, UCL Campus of Mons, Belgium, 2006. Level 4 DipWSET
Miguel A. Pedroza
B.S., Instituto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, Mexico; M.S. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain,; Ph.D. University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Marianne McGarry Wolf
B S., The Johns Hopkins University, 1976; M.A.,The Johns Hopkins University, 1977; Ph.D., The Johns Hopkins University, 1980
