Enology & Viticulture, AAS

This technical degree prepares the student for a variety of careers in vineyards (vineyard workers, crew leaders, managers, viticulturists) and wineries (winemakers, cellar workers, lab technicians, retail sales representatives).

Degree Outcomes:

1. Design, establish, and manage a modern vineyard using sustainable practices and data-driven decisions to optimize both yield and quality, selecting and propagating appropriate grape varieties, employing innovative irrigation and soil health technologies from dormancy through harvest, and using precision viticulture techniques. 

2. Apply sustainable remedies, including the use of emerging biological and technological solutions and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies based on the identification and analysis of vine diseases and insect infestations. 

3. Produce a variety of wine styles, utilizing modern fermentation technologies and techniques that enhance flavor profiles that adhere and adapt to industry trends, consumer preferences, and advancements in technology. 

4. Conduct sensory evaluations of wines using modern evaluation tools and metrics, identifying key aromas, flavors, and structural components that meet market demands and quality standards, identifying key wine faults that can compromise industry quality standards. 

5. Demonstrate proficiency in cleaning and maintaining winery equipment with a focus on safety, efficiency, and adherence to current industry sanitation protocols. 

6. Monitor, assess, and manage red, white, and sparkling wine fermentations using modern technology and analytical tools to ensure optimal fermentation conditions, metrics, quality, and consistency through chemical analyses on wines with modern lab equipment and techniques, ensuring compliance with industry standards and enhancing product consistency and quality control. 

7. Employ current cellar management practices that optimize wine quality and efficiency, conducting necessary post-fermentation operations such as racking, stabilization, and fining. 

8. Ensure wine consistency and enhance flavor complexity, tailored to both traditional and modern market preferences, by blending and aging wines with advanced techniques, including barrel management. 

9. Employ sustainable and innovative packaging solutions for bottling, labeling, and packaging wines to meet regulatory compliance standards set forth by regulatory agencies such as the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and consumer expectations. 

10. Implement comprehensive sales and marketing strategies tailored to the wine industry and based on market analysis, understanding of consumer behavior, innovative branding initiatives, and digital marketing tools that increase brand visibility and wine sales in both domestic and international markets. 

11. Demonstrate effective strategic decision-making that optimizes production efficiency, maintains product quality, and ensures profitability while adhering to regulatory and environmental standards through management of winery operations in adherence to workforce standards, including production planning, inventory control, supply chain management, and financial oversight. 

12. Apply state, federal, and international regulations governing vineyard operations and wine production, with thorough knowledge of compliance requirements related to labeling, health and safety standards, environmental regulations, taxation, and distribution, ensuring that winery operations meet all legal obligations set forth by state, federal and international regulatory agencies, including the TTB. 

Transferability: The AAS Degree is designed primarily for students planning to enter their chosen career upon graduation. Only selected credits are considered transferable to public or private baccalaureate institutions in Washington State. However, students interested in studying Enology and Viticulture and continuing to a four-year institution may be able to adjust their coursework to facilitate this transfer.