MSc Viticulture & Oenology
Master's degree
This challenging programme is designed to enable you to develop a deep and systematic understanding of wine science and related disciplines, with a view to applying this knowledge to make complex viticultural and oenological decisions.
What does the course cover?
The course covers key areas such as sparkling wine production, climate change, and sustainability. You’ll have opportunities to visit other wine-producing areas in Europe throughout your course. Supported by our friendly wine department staff, you’ll be able to benefit from their considerable international expertise and research experience in addition to our outstanding wine centre facilities; enabling you to access an outstanding Master’s level education.
At the beginning of your course, you’ll be required to attend a two-week intensive course in vinegrowing and winemaking. During your first semester, you’ll study three modules which will enable you to gain and apply your knowledge and understanding of current research in biochemistry, grapevine physiology, microbiology and wine chemistry. The second semester will focus on climate, sparkling wine and sustainability. If you’re looking to complete your postgraduate diploma in viticulture and oenology, you can choose to write an independent study and end your studies at this point. Alternatively, if you’d like to study for your full Master’s degree, you’ll normally take an in-depth research methods module before starting your Master’s project. During your third semester, you’ll complete your Master’s project, which can be taken either in the UK Wine Research Centre, or in another suitable location.
What study trips are there?
In your second semester, you’ll have the exciting opportunity to visit a classic European wine region as part of the two compulsory modules in the programme. You’ll also have the chance to join study tours organised by Plumpton College which have previously included Bordeaux, Montpellier, Dijon, North-East Italy, Barcelona and the Mosel Valley.
How about research?
In your final semester, you’ll be able to take part in an in-depth investigative research project into a specialist topic in viticulture and oenology. You’ll have the possibility to conduct these projects in partnership with industry and in other European countries; providing you with a broad range of real-life professional experience.
Careers Hub
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Course details
| Dates & Location | September 2024 |
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| Duration | Full-time – 18 months (September to February in Year 2) Part-time – 30 months (September to February in Year 3) |
| Costs | For entry in Autumn 2024/25 the course fees for UK students are £10,000. Please note that international fees apply for non-UK applicants. |
Entry Requirements
Typical entry requirements are attainment of Level 3 literacy in chemistry and/or biological science plus an honours degree in an appropriate subject. Equivalent overseas qualifications will also be accepted. Applicants will be interviewed at the college, or via an internet-based video link. Right at the start of their programme, applicants will normally be required to complete a short intensive bridging course covering the principles of vinegrowing and winemaking.
A further course requirement is a pass grade or higher at the WSET Level 2 Award in Wines.
Students with English as a second language will be required to have gained IELTS band score 6.0 overall or above, with no less than 5.5 in each component of the 'academic' IELTS test.
I like the flexibility that Plumpton offers. In Italy, you need to have a background or degree in Oenology but Plumpton offers the possibility for students who don’t necessarily have a degree related to viticulture allowing us to bring different backgrounds and knowledge to the table.
Being an overseas student what I like about Plumpton is that they not only supported me with my studies but socially as well. I often receive newsletters with what’s on and social events taking place in Brighton as well as job opportunities or advertisements related to the wine industry.
The MSc at Plumpton is the only English-speaking MSc available in Europe - you get to taste wines from all over the world. In Italy, I worked as a sommelier and 95% of customers are drinking Italian wines, whereas London is a shop window for tasting wines from all around the world.
Facilities
You can be assured that in choosing Plumpton, you'll be studying in the heart of the South East of England's dynamic wine production industry and benefiting from our close proximity to the London wine trade. We manage 10 hectares of vineyards here - producing about 40,000 bottles of award-winning still and sparkling wine each year.
At our Plumpton Wine Centre, you'll discover our outstanding purpose-built facility consisting of a commercial winery, laboratories, research winery plus a wine sensory evaluation room for you to use throughout your studies.
Library
The library facilities at Plumpton located in the centre of the College campus. There is plenty of space for quiet study and plugs at every desk. The library has extensive computer facilities to support student research and there is also easy access to printers. The library is staffed by the library manager and library assistants.
There are over 10,000 books on land-based subjects, plus a range of magazines and journals, including electronic resources that may be accessed from College or home. The library stocks specialist material that covers a broad range of animal management, conservation and veterinary science subjects to facilitate students in their assignments and research projects. Students also have access to subject-specific e-journals and e-publications.
I.T. Resources
We have a dedicated Higher Education I.T. room here at Plumpton, providing reliable access to a quiet study space and printing facilities.
Our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is based on Microsoft Teams. It is used daily by both staff and students to ensure that we adhere to the College aim of using modern technology to help support outstanding teaching, learning and assessment at college. Staff are encouraged to empower their students through the use of digital tools both in and outside the classroom. For example, they can provide support before a lesson by uploading lecture slides onto the module page. Digital enhancement can be conducted in a variety of ways during a lesson, such as encouraging student interaction through the use of Virtual Reality. Meanwhile, post-lesson enrichment can come in the form of a lesson-review quiz. Students must also submit assignments online via Turnitin, allowing staff to provide accessible and detailed digital feedback.
HE Study Rooms
HE students have access to their own study rooms that is for the sole use of HE students. The rooms are located in the Research & Development building, and creates a quiet self-study environment for students. Additionally, there is also a dedicated HE common room designed to provide students with a space to relax and engage with other HE students.
Future Opportunities
This course gives you the opportunity to develop advanced skills in vinegrowing and winemaking; making you highly employable in senior roles requiring a high technical knowledge and considerable degree of responsibility. Ideally, this qualification will enable you to apply the knowledge and understanding gained through your previous qualification, within a wine industry context, at a high level. You could go on to choose a role as a vineyard manager, viticultural consultant, winemaker or winemaking consultant either in the wine trade, or wine production, anywhere in the world where wine is produced or sold. Alternatively, you may choose to continue your studies to achieve a PhD qualification in a related subject.
Modules
The Science and Application of Grapevine Biology
Semester
| Module Title The Science and Application of Grapevine Biology | Minimum Study Time 150 | ||||
Module Level 7 | Module Credits 15 | Contact Hours
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Scheduled teaching: 34 hours Vineyard visits: 6 hours | ||||||
Module Content Through a systematic understanding of grapevine anatomy and physiology and its interaction with the vineyard environment, students will be able to critically evaluate current commercial practice in the establishment and management of vineyards. Content will include: · The anatomy and physiology of the grapevine, focussing on the development of yield and fruit composition. · The effects of the vineyard environment on grapevine growth and development. · Commercial vineyard operations, including establishment, soil management, vine nutrition, plant protection, and canopy management.
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Learning Outcomes To achieve credit for this module, students must be able to: 1. Explain how grapevine anatomy and physiology interacts with the vineyard environment. 2. Evaluate current practice in the establishment and management of vineyards with respect to grapevine anatomy and physiology. 3. Synthesise current research and identify knowledge gaps that would enable improved vineyard management. | ||||||
Grape and Wine Composition
Semester
| Module Title Grape Berry and Wine Composition | Contact Hours
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Module Level 7 | Module Credits 15 | Minimum Study Time 150 | ||||
Scheduled teaching: 40 hours Practicals: 14 hours | ||||||
Module Content Through lectures, laboratory practical sessions and micro-vinifications, students will learn the sources and transformations of key wine compounds, and how to measure these using a range of techniques. The groups of compounds to be investigated will include: carbohydrates, organic acids, nitrogen compounds, polyphenols, inorganic compounds, alcohols and aroma and flavour compounds. Measurements will include: acid/base and redox titrations, spectroscopy, chromatography and sensory evaluation. | ||||||
Learning Outcomes To achieve credit for this module, students must be able to: 1. Describe the key compounds in grapes and their development in grapes and wine. 2. Discuss and appraise current research regarding the inter-relationships between these key compounds during the winemaking process. 3. Execute and critically evaluate wine analysis techniques on grape juice and wine. 4. Record, present and critically interpret measured data as a scientific report. | ||||||
The Science and Application of Winemaking
Semester
| Module Title The Science and Application of Winemaking | Minimum Study Time 150 | ||||
Module Level 7 | Module Credits 15 | Contact Hours
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Scheduled teaching: 40 hours | ||||||
Module Content Through a systematic understanding of winemaking processes and their interrelations, students will be able to design a commercial-scale wine production strategy for a specific wine style. The following winemaking operations will be investigated: · Grape processing. · Must amelioration. · Alcoholic fermentation. · Malolactic fermentation. · Clarification, stabilisation & maturation. · Packaging.
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Learning Outcomes To achieve credit for this module, students must be able to: 1. Explain how winemaking processes influence wine composition. 2. Critically evaluate current practice in wineries used to manage wine composition and wine style. 3. Design a commercial-scale wine production plan for a specific wine style. | ||||||
Applied Viticulture and Winemaking
Semester
| Module Title Applied Viticulture and Winemaking | Contact Hours
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Module Level 7 | Module Credits 15 | Minimum Study Time 150 | ||||
Scheduled teaching: 8 hours Practical sessions in the vineyard and winery: 32 hours Health and safety sessions: 16 hours | ||||||
Module Content Through sessions in the vineyard and winery at key stages of the wine production process with experienced instructors, students will acquire practical knowledge of a range of viticultural and winemaking processes. These practical sessions, combined with theory, will equip students with the ability to map and evaluate key processes in the wine production chain. Operations management: standard operating procedures, occupational health and safety. Student will engage with the following operations in the vineyard.
Winemaking:
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Learning Outcomes To achieve credit for this module, students must be able to: 1. Examine and critically map a range of important vineyard processes. 2. Evaluate key processes during and after vintage in a commercial winery. 3. Analyse, critically evaluate and provide recommendation for improving vineyard and winery processes in order to maximise safety, efficiency and effectiveness. | ||||||
Research Methods and Statistics
Semester
| Module Title Research Methods and Statistics | Contact Hours
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Module Level 7 | Module Credits 15 | Minimum Study Time 150 | ||||
Scheduled teaching: 40 hours | ||||||
Module Content Though a series of lectures, tutorials and computer-based practical sessions, students will acquire the skills and knowledge to engage with the research process within the field of grape and wine science. In particular, the students will assemble and review the scientific literature in order to develop research hypotheses and determine appropriate experimental design and measurement and analysis methods to address these hypotheses. This will be developed as a formal research proposal, which will then be used as a basis for the project in module 9: Master's Applied Research Project. The module will cover: · A range of approaches to conducting investigations in both a research and industrial context. · The practice of identifying, designing and planning an investigation. · Appropriate statistical methods to analyse and interpret quantitative data. · Oral and written communication of scientific results to a range of audiences. | ||||||
Learning Outcomes To achieve credit for this module, students must be able to: 1. Identify a focus of investigation in viticulture and oenology, and conduct a literature review that includes an evaluation of the methods available for the acquisition and analysis of data. 2. Generate a formal research proposal. 3. Select, justify and apply appropriate statistical techniques, and communicate the results. | ||||||
Climate Change and Sustainable Wine Production
Semester
| Module Title Climate Change and Sustainable Wine Production | Contact Hours
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Module Level 7 | Module Credits 15 | Minimum Study Time 150 | ||||
Scheduled teaching: 28 hours Vineyard and winery visits: 20 hours | ||||||
Module Content Through lectures and vineyard and visits, students will examine and assess climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and develop recommendations for improving the sustainability of vineyards and wineries. · Climate change scenarios, future projections and their impact on viticulture, winemaking and terroir. · Climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies. · Sustainable wine production practices, both in the vineyard and winery. Knowledge acquisition and understanding will be facilitated through a compulsory, intensive study tour (costs of travel and accommodation included in the programme fees) that illustrates climate-related challenges and demonstrates sustainable wine production practices in a wine-producing region. | ||||||
Learning Outcomes On successful completion of the module, students will be able to: 1. Appraise mitigation and adaptation strategies to climate change and contextualise these for a range of different vineyards and wineries. 2. Evaluate the social, economic and environmental benefits of sustainable practices that can be applied in vineyards and wineries. 3. Collate and synthesise published literature, and combine this with an operational understanding of vineyards and wineries to construct a sustainable wine production strategy for a given business scenario. | ||||||
The Science of Sparkling Wine
Semester
| Module Title The Science of Sparkling Wine
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Module Level 7 | Module Credits 15 | Minimum Study Time 150 | ||||
Scheduled teaching: 28 hours Vineyard and winery visits: 20 hours | ||||||
Module Content Through lectures, tastings and vineyard and winery visits, students will examine and assess the sparkling winemaking process, thus enabling them to make recommendations for the production of sparkling wine styles. The content will include: · The specific characteristics defining the quality of sparkling wine. · Decisions when establishing a new vineyard to produce sparkling wine (selection of site, variety, clone, rootstock, and training system). · Vineyard management decisions affecting grape characteristics (canopy and yield management). · Harvesting and grape processing operations. · Winemaking decisions, including first and second fermentations, blending, ageing and finishing. · Sensory evaluation of sparkling wine. · The sales and marketing of sparkling wine. Knowledge acquisition and understanding will also be facilitated through a compulsory, intensive study tour (costs of travel and accommodation included in the programme fees) that will explore commercial wine making practices in a specialist sparkling wine-producing region. | ||||||
Learning Outcomes To achieve credit for this module, students must be able to: 1. Compare and contrast viticultural decisions and practices used in different wine regions to produce fruit for the production of sparkling wines. 2. Evaluate the range of winemaking processes used to produce different styles of sparkling wines. 3. Identify, research, diagnose and make recommendations to resolve complex problems in commercial sparkling wine production. | ||||||
Analysis of Wine Components and Faults
- 15 credits
LO1 | Assess wine composition and faults using sensory evaluation. |
LO2 | Investigate complex problems in intrinsic wine quality and make recommendations to mitigate associated risks. |
LO3 | Demonstrate a range of laboratory-based analytical techniques to evaluate wine composition and faults. |
- This practical module provides students with the opportunity to learn a range of sensory and advanced laboratory skills. Students will use these skills to gain a deeper understanding of wine composition and faults
Master's Applied Research Project
Semester 3 | Module Title Master's Applied Research Project | Contact Hours 6 | ||||
Module Level 7 | Module Credits 60 | Minimum Study Time | ||||
Scheduled teaching: 6 hours (Supervision tutorials) | ||||||
Module Content The specific content of the module will be determined by the focus of the student’s research project. The project title and scope will be agreed between the student and a supervisor in the Wine Division, normally in the second semester of the programme, though students will be encouraged to seek an industry-led project, possibly within the context of an internship. Associate supervisors from industry and other institutions may also provide some support. | ||||||
Learning Outcomes Building on the work completed for the Research Methods and Statistics module, and working with a high degree of autonomy, students must be able to demonstrate the ability to: 1. Apply current theoretical and experimental knowledge to define an appropriate area of scientific investigation within an applied context, typically in close association with the wine industry. 2. Apply methods and techniques of enquiry relevant to their field of research. 3. Analyse and discuss the evidence/data, including judgements regarding the appropriateness of the enquiry methodologies used. 4. Synthesise, evaluate and contextualise their findings in a written report and defend their project in a viva voce situation. | ||||||
