Winery Foundations

Lesson list

1. From grapes to wineUnderstand the main stages that turn harvested grapes into finished wine, and connect each stage to style, quality, stability and price.
2. White and rosé winemakingUnderstand the key handling choices used for white and rosé wines, including pressing, skin contact, clarification, protective handling, fermentation temperature and vessel choice.
3. Red winemaking and extractionUnderstand how red wine colour, flavour and tannin are extracted from black grape skins and how producers manage extraction for balance.
4. Fermentation decisionsUnderstand how yeast, temperature, vessel, residual sugar, malolactic conversion and fermentation management affect wine style.
5. Oak and vesselsUnderstand how stainless steel, concrete, large old oak, small barrels, new oak and old oak affect wine style, oxygen exposure, texture and cost.
6. Maturation and oxygenUnderstand how time, vessel, oxygen exposure, lees contact and protection shape fruit expression, texture, complexity, stability and drinking window.
7. BlendingUnderstand how blending can create balance, consistency, complexity, volume and style, using grape varieties, sites, lots, press fractions and vintages where appropriate.
8. Clarification, stabilisation and bottlingUnderstand how fining, filtration, stabilisation, sulphur dioxide, oxygen management, closures and bottling choices affect clarity, stability, shelf life and style.
9. Faults and spoilage risksUnderstand major wine faults and spoilage risks, including oxidation, reduction, cork taint, volatile acidity, Brettanomyces, heat damage and light strike.
10. Winery economics and qualityUnderstand how sorting, equipment, vessels, oak, maturation time, labour, storage, stability work and production scale affect wine cost, quality and final price.
11. Winery Foundations practice bankLarge grouped question bank for repeated Winery Foundations practice runs. Covers grape handling, white and rosé winemaking, red extraction, fermentation, oak, maturation, blending, finishing, faults, economics, quality and price.