Master in Vine, Wine and Terroir Management (Vintage)

Become an expert in the wine industry!

From the study of natural terroirs to the analysis of consumer behaviour.

The Master in Vine, Wine and Terroir Management (Vintage) seeks to provide students with a comprehensive overview of the wine industry. The objective is to help students acquire scientific, cultural and economic knowledge as well as technical and strategic skills.

During the Master’s degree, students attend courses in three European partner institutions: namely Portugal (Vila Real), Italy (Piacenza) and France (Angers).

349 graduates from 48 nationalities!

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Program type: Master state approved diploma

Level: Bachelor of Science, MSc degree or equivalent diploma

Teaching language: English,

Lenght of training :: 24 months,

Status: Student or apprentice status,

Accreditation: Diploma awarded jointly by the University of Angers - ESTHUA

Overview

In short The programme Skills Degree

The programme particularly focuses on the concepts of terroir and typicality, providing students with the expertise to characterise, protect and promote wine diversity and identity.

Established in 2002, this 2-year study programme is a joint collaboration between higher education institutions, bringing together various competencies in the field of viticulture, oenology and wine marketing on an international scale. The partner institutions are:

Ecole Supérieure des Agricultures (Coordinator, Angers – France), Universitat Politècnica de València (Valencia – Spain), Szent István Egyetem (Budapest – Hungary), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Piacenza – Italy), Universidade de Trás-Os-Montes e Alto Douro (Vila Real – Portugal), École d’Ingénieurs de Changins (Nyon – Switzerland), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (Santiago – Chile) and Stellenbosch University (Stellenbosch – South Africa).

The Master in Vine, Wine and Terroir Management (Vintage) welcomes annually about 25 students from many different nationalities and various backgrounds.

The full-fledged English curriculum of the wine industry combines scientific, cultural and economic knowledge with various field activities and applied case studies. The curriculum was designed to help students develop:

Technical skills in: vineyard establishment and terroir management, grape and wine quality improvement, winemaking techniques and sensory analysis, dealing with changing environmental issues.
Strategic skills in: defining wine identity and diversity, wine markets and brands, wine firms and sectors, national and international wine business strategies.

To help students meet these standards, the curriculum is based on a strong partnership between partner universities, associated partners and various public and private professionals in the wine sector. Indeed, these professional actors play an active part in the master through classroom teaching, field excursions and case studies, enabling students to understand and address current issues in the wine industry, while likewise beginning to define their own professional career projects.

On completion of this study programme, students will have acquired the following principal learning outcomes:

The fundamental understanding of grape growing and ripening, from vineyard establishment to harvest.
The expertise of interactions between grapevines and their natural and human environment at different temporal and spatial scales.
The knowledge and skills of winemaking process from harvest reception to bottling, including quality controls.
The ability to conduct tastings, sensory analysis (using trained panels) and consumer studies to define product attributes (both targeted and obtained wine quality).
An aptitude to characterise the terroir factors impacting wine quality and style (even typicality).
The capacity to deal with the major issues of sustainable grape and wine production in a constantly changing environment (including climate change, environmental impacts and consumer health).
A well-developed acquaintance with the fundamentals of business and project management as well as the relevant theory and practice of entrepreneurship.
An understanding of the wine business world through the eyes of an entrepreneurial marketer in order to continually adapt and innovate in a challenging industry.

An outstanding International Degree

The Master in Vine, Wine and Terroir Management (Vintage) is a state approved master diploma accredited by the French Ministry of higher Education and Research since 2003. Today, this degree is jointly awarded with the associated partner, the University of Angers, France.

This degree is awarded to students who attended the International Vintage Master course and validated 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). In France, it also qualifies its graduates for doctoral studies.

Language

The language of courses and evaluations is English. During the final semester, the professional thesis project is also written and defended in English.

Nevertheless, local European languages are integrated and supported in the teaching programme, allowing students the opportunity to acquire more linguistic competencies in order to promote:

An optimal integration in hosting countries
A better interaction and exchange with local producers and institutional actors of the wine industry.

Learning the local language can also be helpful if a student wishes to pursue a PhD degree in one of the hosting countries.

Mobility scheme

The curriculum consists of two academic years, divided into four semesters of 30 ECTS.

During the first three semesters, students attend courses in three European partner institutions: namely Portugal (Vila Real), Italy (Piacenza) and France (Angers). The students remain therefore together for the duration of the three semesters.

Another individual mobility, during the fourth and final semester, is possible to other countries or partner institutions in Spain, Hungary, Italy, Chile, South Africa, Switzerland or England.

This mobility scheme aims to provide students with a rich cultural experience and international exposure of the wine industry.

Our Partner Universities

Curriculum

Master 1 (year one) Fall semester Master 1 (year one) Spring semester Master 2 (year two) Fall semester Master 2 (year two) Spring semester

Career opportunities

Advisory boards

Grape & wine production

Trade & wine marketing

Related industries

Admission & Qualification

How to apply Prerequisites Administrative Information

Admissions are based on candidate’s qualifications (academic results, cover letter,..) and individual interview (Motivation, English language level,..)

Application deadlines

For enrollment in September, online application is open from October the previous year:

First session on 31 January
Second session on 31 May

Application file is available on online application system.

Application procedure

Your written application will be examined, then if it is accepted, you will be invited for an oral interview, which will take place at ESA Angers, by phone or skype.

A first selection will be done in February (for applications completed before January 31st). Results will be communicated end of February. The final selection will be done by the academic committee and the results will be communicated in June, communicated by email

To attend this master course, students must have :

1/ completed 3 years of bachelor’s degree in science, economics, or marketing.
It can be, for example, a “Bachelor of Science” (3 years of scientific training or economic-marketing sciences).

2/ a good English Language Level.

Since English is the official language of the programme, a good English speaking and writing ability is necessary. The following minimum scores are required:

TOEIC (reading & listening) score of 785
TOEIC (write & speak) score of 310
TOEFL (ITP) score of 550
TOEFL (iBT) score of 65
IELTS score of 5.5
Cambridge First Certificate of English (FCE)
Common European Framework (Languages): Level B2

These language requirements will not be required to those students whose mother tongue is English or who have completed their undergraduate studies in English, upon presentation of the relevant documentation.

Candidates will also be asked to prove their interest for the wine sector. Applications are examined individually.

The same admission requirements apply to company staff wishing to obtain a Master of Science by the way of continuing education. Each candidate will be examined individually by the academic committee.

Different registration options

You can choose to study for the Master in Vine, Wine and Terroir Management (Vintage) in one of the following ways:

Full-time study with possibility to have a apprentice status in 2nd year
Continuing education for working adults
Selection of individual modules

The latter two options are available for working adults.

Each application is thoroughly analysed on a case-by-case basis.

For all questions about admission requirements and procedures, please contact-us.

Tuition fees & funding

Tuition fees Funding

For the class intake of 2023 to 2025, the tuition fees for one academic year are:

9,500 euros
+ 103 euros (Student insurance for work experience and internship placements)
+ 100 euros (Participation costs for student life at ESA)
+ 92 euros (French tax contributing to student life on campus)

The second year of the Master Programme can be done either with a student status (fees above) or with an apprentice status. The apprentice statuts implies both practical (in an hosting French company) and academic training (at ESA or partner universities campus). The apprentice student will benefit from a monthly salary regulated by the French government, and won’t pay scholarship fees for the second year.

Tuition fees include:

Registration costs at the University of Angers
Study trips in the various countries (Portugal, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary and France)
WSET level 3 award in wines (courses will be provided during the 3rd semester in Angers by a certified institution)

Tuition fees do not include:

Transportation costs between partner universities at the end of each semester
Everyday student expenses (accommodation, meals, health insurance…)

Special notice for the study trips:

Financed by Master programme: Accommodation, Breakfast, Bus transport, Wine tasting sessions
Financed by students: Some lunches, Evening meals