Wine Studies at SRJC Is For You
In the world of wine, Sonoma County ranks among the premier wine production locations in the world. Sonoma County's winemakers and their products have dazzled consumers in the United States and around the globe as the wine industry has rapidly flourished in Sonoma County's renowned and spectacular wine country merely 50 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge.
There's no further locale for students to immerse themselves in wine studies than at Santa Rosa Junior College, situated in near famous vineyards and wine businesses that stretch over rolling hills and forests near rivers and the Pacific Ocean. Wine Studies students enjoy hands-on learning in the state-of-the art wine laboratory and Sonoma County Vintners and Conference and Learning Center located in the Warren G. Dutton Jr. Agriculture Pavilion on SRJC's Shone Farm, which also includes 365 acres of vineyards, orchards, pasture, forest, and vegetable gardens that create a stunning outside laboratory. Students have an opportunity for hands-on learning experience at the Shone Farm Winery.
To support Sonoma County’s vital and successful wine industry, SRJC has developed a first class Wine Studies Program, delivered by highly skilled and well-known members of the wine industry. The cornerstone of SRJC's Wine Studies Program is a two-year Wine Studies major that allows students to focus on one of four areas of concentration:
- Wine and Vines
- Enology
- Wine Evaluation & Service
- Wine Business & Marketing
Wine and Vines
The Wine and Vines concentration is a hybrid program combining the wine and viticulture instructional training necessary for a variety of entry-level positions, including grower relations manager, viticulture wine quality specialist, wine educator and tour guide. Positions are available in wineries and other venues where a knowledge of wines, wine marketing, and viticulture practices are required.
Enology
The Enology concentration, the study of winemaking, offers students an intense, hands-on experience in fall and spring winery operations and the essential introduction to chemistry, organic chemistry, and wine lab analysis. SRJC's Enology concentration is an interdisciplinary academic/occupational program between the College's outstanding Chemistry and Agriculture/Natural Resources Departments.
The Enology emphasis prepares students for entry-level positions as winery laboratory assistants, cellar masters, assistant winemakers, winery education directors, wine quality control specialists, and sensory evaluation personnel.
Wine Evaluation and Service
This program concentration gives students a thorough understanding of wines produced locally, regionally, and internationally. Students learn the components of tasting wines, judging wines, and pairing wines with different foods.
The courses are combined with wine industry event planning, consumer direct wine sales and marketing, and service and hospitality to prepare students for specific job opportunities that include wine consultant, server, tasting room representative, wine sales specialist, wine educator, wine club administrator, and winery and restaurant event staff.
Wine Business and Marketing
In Wine Business and Marketing, students learn many aspects of wine business sales and marketing to effectively market and promote wine, including solid agriculture business classes: computer applications, wine business management, sales and communications, marketing and wine sales and distribution.
This program prepares students to pursue a variety of possible wine industry jobs that range from sales representative, direct sales manager, and regional sales manager to wine advertising sales, fine wine sales representative, public relations and marketing coordinator, and wine merchandiser.
Two-Year Certificate or Degree
Students can earn a Certificate of Achievement in Wine Studies by taking
core courses along with one of the concentration areas or earn an
Associate in Science degree by adding transferable general education
classes for a total of at least 60 units.
The Wine Studies Program at SRJC is designed to prepare students for
entry-level positions in the wine and wine-related industries and to
increase career advancement opportunities for individuals already
employed in the industry. A broad range of employment
opportunities include:
- Hospitality Assistant
- Event Staff
- Cellar Assistant
- Wine Sales Specialist
- Winery Tour Guide
- Tasting Room Manager
- Marketing Assistant
- Winery Assistant
- Hospitality Manager
- Field Inspector for Vineyard Operations
- Wine Ambassador
- Winery Relations
- Wine Specialist
- Tasting Room Assistant
- Assistant Winemaker
- Wine Educator/Consultant
- Wine Hospitality Assistant
- Wine Club Coordinator
- Winery Laboratory Technician
- Grower Relations
A Taste Of Wine Industry Opportunities
The first year of SRJC's two-year Wine Studies Program includes
core courses that give students foundational knowledge and skills in
world viticulture and wine styles, wine component tasting, and
professional wine judging. Students round out the first year
of study with a course in winery operations or enology.
In the second year of the program, students select an area of
specialization from either Wine Business and Marketing, Wine
Evaluation and Service, Enology, or Wine and Vines.
Industry Endorsed
SRJC's Wine Studies Program is actively supported, endorsed, and
guided by the College’s Agribusiness and Wine Studies Advisory
Committee, which is made up of prominent local representatives from
the agribusiness and wine industries.
Many SRJC Wine Studies courses are articulated with UC/CSU
viticulture and enology programs.
Wine Studies Faculty
Full-time faculty - Bob Fraser
Adjunct faculty
Contact
Bob Fraser
Program Coordinator/Instructor
Agriculture/Natural Resources Department
Tel: (707)
527-4648
Fax: (707) 527-4651
E-mail:
rfraser@santarosa.edu
Room 2091, Lark Hall, Santa Rosa Campus
Classes
For information about class offerings, access SRJC’s current Schedule of Classes.
