- Duration
1 Day Course
- Attendance
- 09:00 - 16:00
- Location
- Plumpton College
Course Overview
Harvest can be a stressful time for vineyards and wineries. This course aims to teach techniques to help students plan for an efficient harvest. It will cover preparing the winery facilities, monitoring fruit ripeness, preparing the laboratory facilities, health and safety considerations, regulations for winemaking and transporting grapes and essential record keeping.
Modules
Topics of study include:
- Planning for harvest and ordering yeast, enzymes and adjuvants
- Juice analysis and monitoring ripeness
- Yield forecasting and predicting harvest dates
- Laboratory preparation for receiving samples for testing
- Liaising with the Vineyard team on logistics
- Preparing the winery for fruit receival
- Harvest health and safety
- Organising the workflow for fruit receival and processing
- Organising the winery space and tank space management
- Organising and training seasonal winery staff
- Regulations for wine making and documentatioN
- Record keeping
Assessment
The course ends with a 30-minute multiple choice exam
Entry Requirements
This course is designed for Winemakers, Operations Managers and Cellarhands to learn about systematic preparation of the winery for harvest operations to streamline operations, minimize delays, and ensure a successful harvest season.
Course Cost
This course is FREE*, thanks to the Plumpton Wine Resilience Fund. More information about this fund can be found here.
Please refer to our terms and conditions below to take advantage of this offer between January - July 2026.
Note that the cost will show on your application form, however please disregard this if you meet the funding criteria to access the Plumpton Wine Resilience Fund.
*Subject to eligibility
Cost for a non-funded learner: £210
Terms & Conditions
1. Course Dates:
All courses must be booked and attended between 1 January and 31 July 2026
2. Commitment to attend:
All courses are fully funded. By enrolling on a programme, you are committing to attend. Failure to attend without notifying the College at least 10 days prior to the course start date will result in a £50 administration charge.
3. Number of Courses:
There is no limit to the number of courses an individual or company may book under this scheme. However, no one course can be repeated by and individual.
4. Materials:
Any required materials or equipment must be purchased separately and are not covered by the funding. These will be clearly stated in the course information.
5. Eligibility:
Free training is offered through the Governments' Adult Skills Fund and cannot be accessed by individuals or organisations from devolved authorities (Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, North East, East Midlands, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Cornwall, Tees Valley, London)
6. Accommodation and travel:
Plumpton College does not provide free accommodation.
On-site accommodation may be available at a discounted rate, subject to availability and payable separately.
We do have travel bursaries for those in low income please look on our website for further details.
Course Dates
- Date
- 6 July 2026
Other courses that may interest you
National Wine Training Programme
The National Wine Training Programme offers structured courses at three levels - Introduction, Intermediate, and Advanced - designed to enhance skills and knowledge in areas like vinegrowing, winemaking, and wine business for all experience levels.
