Bachelor’s Degree in Viticulture and Enology

Practical experience is central to the degree, allowing students to connect scientific theory with real vineyard and winery operations. Alongside technical classes in viticulture, fermentation and sensory analysis, students study across several major French wine-producing regions and complete a three-month professional internship in a winery or vineyard. They also benefit from Bordeaux Sciences Agro’s own wine estate, specialist vine-and-wine researchers and academic resources dedicated to agriculture, viticulture and enology.

The program’s main practical opportunities and facilities include:

• Château Luchey-Halde: Bordeaux Sciences Agro owns this teaching wine estate, located on approximately 29 hectares of vineyard within the Pessac-Léognan appellation. It provides students with a working environment in which to observe vineyard management, grape production and professional wine-estate practices.
• Three-month professional internship: Students complete an internship in a winery or vineyard, helping them gain first-hand experience in areas such as harvest preparation, wine production, cellar operations and vineyard management. The institution reports that internships have also helped graduates secure later employment.
• Multi-campus study experience: The academic program includes six months at Bordeaux Sciences Agro and EPL Bordeaux Gironde, two weeks at Institut Agro Dijon in Burgundy, two weeks at Institut Agro Montpellier and two days at ENSAT Toulouse. This gives students exposure to different French wine regions, production environments and viticultural approaches.
• Sensory-analysis training: Practical learning includes tasting rules, the physiology of taste, varietal, fermentative and aging aromas, and the identification of off odours. These areas prepare students to assess wine characteristics and identify quality or production issues.
• Research-connected teaching: Faculty members are involved with research units at the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin, including enology and vine ecophysiology and functional genomics. The department is also connected with the Vitinnov knowledge-transfer unit and an observatory studying the biodiversity of enological microorganisms.
• Specialist library resources: The campus library provides books, journals, student dissertations and electronic resources covering vine and wine, agriculture, plant production, agri-food, environmental science and related subjects. Students also have access to workrooms, Wi-Fi, self-service computers and databases such as ScienceDirect, ScholarVox and Techniques de l’Ingénieur.
• Software and digital tools: The official Bachelor’s curriculum does not name a specific viticulture, winery-management or sensory-analysis software package. Its published practical emphasis is instead placed on scientific vineyard training, fermentation processes, wine tasting, study visits and professional winery experience.

Official facilities and resources: Vine and Wine Department | Research Laboratories | Campus Library

The degree prepares graduates to work across vineyard production, cellar operations, wine-quality assessment, technical consultancy and wine-sector project management. Bordeaux Sciences Agro reports that most graduates enter employment, often beginning in assistant-level winery roles before progressing towards positions with greater technical or managerial responsibility.

Typical career roles: Cellar Manager | Vineyard Manager | Assistant Winemaker | Viticulture and Enology Consultant | Technical Auditor | Wine Project Manager

Career development and graduate opportunities include:

• Career and recruitment support: Bordeaux Sciences Agro operates a Career Space through JobTeaser where students and graduates can research employers, receive CV, interview and recruitment guidance, apply for internship and employment opportunities and attend career forums, recruitment sessions and workshops. Its career team also manages employer relationships and job postings.
• Professional networking: The institution organises careers events such as the Journée des métiers graduate forum and the Agro’n Job employer forum. Students can also use the My Job Glasses mentoring partnership to connect with working professionals and learn about different careers.
• Graduate employment outcomes: Bordeaux Sciences Agro states that the vast majority of graduates from its international wine programs move into employment, while a smaller proportion continue to postgraduate study. Bachelor’s graduates commonly begin as winery assistants, work in vineyards or cellars, join family wine businesses or develop careers in exports and marketing.
• Salary information: An official Bordeaux Sciences Agro graduate-outcomes article reports an average European gross salary of approximately €25,000 per year for Bachelor’s alumni and gives an example of a US-based alumnus earning approximately €43,000 per year. These are illustrative alumni figures rather than guaranteed starting salaries, as earnings vary by country, previous experience and job responsibilities.
• Internship-to-employment opportunities: The school reports that many graduates were recruited through professional contacts or following their final internship. One Bachelor’s graduate completed an internship at Château Smith Haut-Lafitte, remained there for two years and later became an assistant cellar master in New Zealand.
• University and industry connections: The Viticulture and Enology Department maintains close links with wine-industry professionals, the University of Bordeaux and the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin. Bordeaux Sciences Agro is also a member of Agreenium and reports academic collaborations with approximately 80 institutions worldwide.
• Long-term institutional value: The degree is delivered by a public French higher-education and agricultural-research institution under the French Ministry of Agriculture. Although the official Bachelor’s page does not identify a separate external professional accreditation, the program’s research connections, specialist wine faculty, regional wine-industry access and professional internship strengthen its relevance for international wine-sector careers.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the Bachelor’s degree, students may progress to postgraduate study in viticulture, enology, wine science, agricultural sciences, food science or wine-business management. Bordeaux Sciences Agro offers a two-year, English-taught Master of Science in Vineyard and Winery Management, which combines advanced viticulture and enology with wine-business management, marketing, finance, commercialization and project leadership.