Viticulture Training Program Details
Exchange visitors on the viticulture program will be involved in the process of cultivating grapes. Many elements have a direct effect on a vineyard (sun, soil, drainage) that determine the quality of the grape and the wine it produces. On a viticulture training program, you will have the opportunity to learn most aspects of the vineyard including; sampling, grape growing, canopy management, spraying programs, and harvest intake.
On the viticulture training program, you will learn how the climate and soil of the vineyard has a significant impact on flavor, and how certain grapes will flourish under specific climatic conditions. You will also gain knowledge of how soil affects the character of the grape, and gain hands-on experience with proper canopy management practices, such as vine support and trellises.
This program can include:
- Pruning observing growth cycles
- Pest monitoring
- Fertility investigations
- Collecting of plant tissue
- Thinning
- Canopy management
- Cluster and berry sampling
- Data collection and review
Program Availability:
April through December (depending on location).
Skills
Some of the skills learned on this program may include:
- Identify grape varieties - wine grape cultivars, rootstocks
- Identify vine structure - shoot system, the root system
- Identify and describe vine physiology
- Identify and describe the vineyard growth cycle
- Perform irrigation techniques used
- Identify and control insects, rodents, and birds
- Conduct sugar and acid tests on berry samples
- Identify and perform different harvesting methods, hands vs. mechanical
- Identify and execute post-harvest operations - fertilization, irrigation, pruning
- Identify and perform vineyard management practices
- Identify and practice vineyard safety procedures
- Identify vine structure - shoot system, root system, soil types
*Actual skills learned will vary by placement and previous experience.
