Bachelor of Wine Business

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Charles Sturt University Sydney

Program Overview

If you’ve ever wondered how grapes from a sun-drenched vineyard become the wine in your glass — with all the science, the business smarts, and the story — the Bachelor of Wine Business at Charles Sturt University gives you exactly that picture. It’s for curious minds who love wine and want to understand the full wine business cycle: from vine to vintage, from soil to sales. You’ll learn everything from vineyard management and winemaking basics to marketing, distribution and business strategy within the global wine industry.

Curriculum Structure

First Year
Your first year gently introduces you to the foundations. You might start with essentials like basic agriculture and horticulture business principles, paired with an introduction to grape and wine science. Early units build your comfort with vine biology, soil basics, and the science behind how grapes become wine.

Second Year
In the second year you’ll dig deeper — combining science and business more directly. You’ll likely encounter core subjects around viticulture (how grapes are grown), wine production techniques, and the fundamentals of marketing and business management tailored for agriculture and wine. This is where you begin to understand how wine production, economics and consumer demand all interconnect.

Third Year and Beyond
As you progress, the program brings in more advanced, industry-relevant units: things like wine appraisal, business risk and investment for agriculture, and agricultural economics or finance. You may also get real-world exposure through placements in a commercial vineyard, winery or wine business — giving you hands-on experience of grape growing, wine production, or wine marketing and sales. By the final semesters, many students blend technical wine knowledge with business acumen, preparing them to step confidently into the wine world.

Focus Areas
Viticulture, Winemaking, Wine Appraisal, Wine Marketing & Distribution, Agricultural Business Management

Learning Outcomes
You’ll graduate ready to produce wines, assess quality, manage vineyards or wineries, and navigate the global wine market with business-savvy — equipped for roles from vineyard or cellar assistant to wine marketer, salesperson, or business manager.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)
As part of a respected, officially accredited Australian public university, this degree is recognised within the international wine industry. The built-in workplace learning — including practical winery experience and an industry placement — bridges classroom learning with real-world wine business. That means you're not just studying theory, you’re preparing for real jobs and real wine-world challenges.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)
Charles Sturt University is known globally for its strong support for agriculture and viticulture studies. It consistently ranks among Australia’s leading universities for practical, career-focused education. Graduates from this program often find themselves well positioned in wineries, wine distribution, marketing or vineyard management — because the mix of science + business knowledge gives them a competitive edge in the wine world.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

In the Bachelor of Wine Business at Charles Sturt University, you won’t just learn from books — you’ll actually roll up your sleeves and experience the world of wine firsthand. From your very first year, you’ll be taking on the same kinds of tasks and challenges that professionals face every day in vineyards, wineries and wine businesses. The program is grounded in Charles Sturt’s long history in wine and viticulture education, blending technical expertise with real business insight so you graduate confident, skilled and ready to make your mark in the industry.

You’ll spend time in real lab and production settings, learning everything from grape growing and fermentation to wine appraisal, quality assurance and sensory evaluation. You’ll collaborate with classmates on practical projects that bridge agribusiness, winemaking, marketing and management — giving you a true understanding of both the science and commercial side of wine.

You’ll also have the chance to step out into the field through industry placements, workplace learning and visits to working vineyards and wineries. These experiences help you build professional connections, understand how the industry really operates, and see each stage of the winemaking journey up close — from grape to bottle.

By the time you graduate, you won’t just know wine — you’ll have lived it.

Progression & Future Opportunities

If you choose the Bachelor of Wine Business at Charles Sturt University, you’ll graduate ready to step into a wine-industry career with confidence — combining business sense with knowledge of winemaking and viticulture. Many graduates land roles in sales, marketing, vineyard and winery management, or in export/distribution — real jobs in a real industry.

Typical roles for graduates include:

Winery manager or assistant winemaker
Wine sales or marketing specialist
Vineyard manager / viticulturist
Wine tourism or distribution manager

Here’s what this means for you:

Charles Sturt includes workplace-learning and placement as part of the degree — you’ll get practical, hands-on experience in a vineyard or commercial winery before you finish, which makes your CV stronger.
The course combines business fundamentals (accounting, management, marketing) and wine-specific skills (wine science, viticulture, wine appraisal), so you’re job-ready on both business and technical fronts.
Because the wine industry is global and growing, the degree gives you flexibility — you could work in Australia, export/import, or even international wine trade or tourism.
Graduates from this program are considered “job-ready” by employers in the wine industry, giving you a reputable credential and long-term value if you aim for leadership positions.

Further Academic Progression:
If you enjoy the academic side, after finishing the bachelor degree you could build on your knowledge — potentially moving into more technical or research-oriented paths (for example, wine science, viticulture research, or even agribusiness). Charles Sturt offers related postgraduate and graduate-level programs, so you could deepen your expertise, specialise further, or even prepare for roles in wine research, consultancy, or higher-level management.

In short: if you love wine — not just as a product but as an industry — this course doesn’t just teach you to appreciate it. It trains you to build a real, lasting career around it.