85274 - Winery Management: a Professional Approach

Course contents

1. The organisational and functional structure: theestablishment plan  - the job descriptions - the job schedule and responsibilities, company policy. Conduct and management methods in the various corporate forms. The function of the oenologist in management and the opportunities offered by the labour market
2. Work organisation: personnel management, work group dynamics, leadership - conflict management and resolution.
3. Cellar management at harvest time: grape management - winemaking protocols - The mass balance regulatory and operational management tool
4. Quality control: laboratory organisation - the control plan - the functions of VALORITALIA - tasting in quality control
5. The management of white and rosé wines: Analysis of plants and conducting the various operational processes - Evolution and diversification of wines - The organic wines - The fourth colour of wines
6. The management of red wines: Analysis of installations and management of the different operational processes - The winemakers, strengths and weaknesses of the different patents on the market. Evolution and diversification of wines - The organics wines
7. The management of ageing: Steel, wood, cement amphora, earthenware
8. Cellar practices and management of adjuvants: acidity regulators - proteins - tannins - preservatives - antioxidants - clarifiers - stabilisers - activators and sequestrants - enzymes - oenological practices - regulatory, technical, economic limits.
9. Wine stabilisation: physical, chemical, natural. New technologies.
10. The management of bottling: Control and management of installations. Bottling and packaging materials, The glass - the label - corks - capsules - boxes. The management of a reference
11. Storage, logistics, services: Technical and economic aspects.
12. The present and future scenarios: The socio-cultural aspects of wine - wine tourism a new opportunity for the wine business - The tools of company communication;
13. Management control: The breakdown of costs, the budget estimate and final balance - reports. Elements of the budget useful for strategic choices and company sustainability. Suggestions  of statistics applied to the definition of operational and organisational cellar standards and analysis of deviations.

Readings/Bibliography

The material consists of the documents made available to the students directly by the lecturer before the lectures and the textbooks and recommended readings:

• J.Ribereau Gayon – E. Peynaud – P.Sudraud – P.Ribereau Gayon - Trattato di di scienza e tecnica enologica. ED.: AEB
  • Vol.1 – Analisi e controllo dei mosti e dei vini
  • Vol.2 – Caratteri dei vini, maturazione dell’uva, lieviti e batteri
  • Vol.3 – La vinificazione, le trasformazioni del vino
  • Vol. 4 – Chiarificazione e stabilizzazione del vino

• Charles T. Horngren – George Foster – Srikant M. Dator – Contabilità per la Direzione.ED. ISEDI

Terry Hill – Il management della produzione - ED. FRANCO ANGELI

Teaching methods

The course consists of 40 hours of lectures that will be at the Tebano campus. The lectures make use of a computer and video projector. The material made available - useful for stimulating the student's proactivity with the practical management of the cellar - consists of files in word, excel, power point and pdf format. The students will have their disposal the widest range of operational tools, which are the result of the lecturer's more than 30 years of activity in medium-sized and large cooperative and private companies. Approximately 30% of the classroom hours will be complementary to the didactic part and dedicated to tasting activities of different type of winematurity to identify merits, defects, correction methods, hypotheses of evolution, refinement and stabilisation. Wine cellar adjuvants and materials will be part of the practical knowledge and quality control course.

Assessment methods

The final examination at the end of the course consists of an oral assessment achievement of the didactic objectives and the candidate's ability to have clearly understood the criticalities and strengths of a correct technical and economic management of the oenological company. In the evaluation of the candidate, attention will be paid to the logical-deductive approach and the ability to describe the operational activities of the future oenologist, competence, decision-making ability, autonomy of judgement, creativity.

Teaching tools

Approximately 30% of the classroom hours will be complementary to the didactic part and dedicated to tasting activities of different type of wine maturity to identify merits, defects, correction methods, hypotheses of evolution, refinement, stabilisation.

Wine cellar adjuvants and materials will be part of the practical knowledge and quality control course.

In addition to the textbooks, texts and magazines in the sector will be suggested for in-depth study and updates.

The goal is to prepare the oenologists for the dynamics of the cellar to make them not only expert in their job but also competent in the planning and management of personnel, operations, logistics and services and very attentive to market dynamics. And finally to make their capable of constant and punctual management control.

Office hours

See the website of Cleto Pirazzoli