Wine Studies Certificate of Achievement

The Wine Studies Certificate of Achievement provides a strong foundation for students pursuing employment in the wine industry and wine-related roles in the restaurant and hospitality industries. The program emphasizes a multidisciplinary educational experience and includes hands-on experiences in vineyards and wineries as well as analytical wine tastings. Viticultural techniques explore include: how to prune vines, how to prepare a vineyard for the growing season, and practices that determine how the vineyard is managed during the year. Winemaking practices are demonstrated with visits to working wineries and a focus on the fundamentals of fermentation and aging with students gaining hands-on wine analysis experience.  Wine tasting classes focus on developing mastery of a systematic approach to wine tasting, awareness of individual thresholds, and the acquisition of the sensory skills required to assess wine quality and style. 

Upon completion of the certificate, students can enter the wine industry in entry level jobs such as wine educator, assistant wine steward, junior wholesale or retail wine buyer, assistant tasting room manager, retail sales associate, food and beverage server, or they may choose to continue to an associate’s degree. Students planning to transfer should select courses that meet requirements of the intended transfer university. For UC and CSU campuses, these major requirements can be found at www.assist.org.

A total of 20 students are expected to enroll with potential for annual growth. Completion rates of the Certificate of Achievement are expected to be five to ten per year with a potential for annual growth.

Cabrillo College is seeking approval from the Chancellor’s Office for the new Wine Studies Certificate of Achievement in Career Education. The Wine Studies program is designed to train and educate students to work in the fields of viticulture, enology, and wine business as a wine steward/sommelier, wholesale and retail buyer, and food service professional in roles including but not limited to manager, first line supervisor food, and waiters and waitresses.

The need for entry-level wine professionals has been advocated for by regional wineries, wine retail operators, food service operators, and wine industry producer organizations and is supported by current, regional labor market research (TOP 0104.00). The Wine Studies program is aligned with Cabrillo’s mission, master plan, and statewide community college work in Guided Pathways. Approval of this program will benefit regional employers, augment college enrollment, and support non-traditional and underserved minority students in a viable career and academic path. 

This program would give our students the knowledge and skills they need to enter the workforce or continue their studies in the field. The goal is for certificate completers to be gainfully employed within a year of program completion, to advance to the associate degree, or to transfer to a four-year bachelor degree program. Working with employers to identify earning potential is promising, with potential for a starting salary of $43,750 - 96,000/yr in jobs such as winery wine educator, assistant wine steward, junior wholesale or retail wine buyer, tasting room manager, retail sales associate, or food and beverage server. The average salary for a wine tasting room manager is $66,000 annually, and the average salary for a retail wine buyer is $96,000 annually. It is critical to give community college students educational and professional experience that is necessary to be successful when they continue to higher degrees or certificates.

The Wine Studies Certificate of Achievement is a 16-unit certificate with a focus on courses that establish a foundation for entry-level positions involving wine and wine service and continuing wine studies education.  The certificate requires completing 2 required courses with a total of 4 units and 12 additional units of electives in wine service, sensory evaluation, and world wine producing regions.