D0084 - STRATEGIE DI GESTIONE PER UNA PRODUZIONE VINICOLA SOSTENIBILE (KEY STRATEGIES FOR SUSTAINABLE WINE PRODUCTION)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will have acquired knowledge regarding the three pillars of management: 1) Organizational Management of the winery, covering corporate structures, interpersonal and inter-company team dynamics, and external relations with institutions, service providers, and the market; 2) Winery Operations Management, encompassing the digital tools used for planning winery activities and ensuring the proper execution of production processes—including primary processing, aging, stabilization, and packaging—as well as the effective management of procurement, inventory, logistics, and transport, and the ability to interpret wine and raw material characteristics (strengths and flaws) and the relationship between sensory perception and laboratory analysis; and 3) Economic Management, involving a simplified analysis of corporate financial statements and the chart of accounts to ensure accurate analytical accounting. Sustainability is measured through economic indicators, reputation, and the ability to keep pace with evolving consumption patterns, market trends, and climate change. Sustainable wine production is the result of specific business models, production scales, market dynamics, and management controls. However, economic sustainability cannot come at the expense of ethical, social, or environmental sustainability. Throughout the course, these elements will be linked to the professional responsibilities of the oenologist; decisions must always be grounded in knowledge, legal compliance, and respect for worker health and safety.

Course contents

Sustainable winery management requires balancing specific value-based choices (corporate policy, social and environmental responsibility) with precise strategic decisions (corporate structure, production and commercial scale, management control) to harmonize safety, health, environmental concerns, market demands, economic viability, and identity. Consequently, the approach must address the following pillars of sustainability:

1. Sustainable organizational structure: Organizational charts, job descriptions, task and responsibility matrices, and corporate policy. Management and operational approaches suited to various corporate structures. The role of the winemaker in management and opportunities within the labor market.
2. Work organization: Personnel management, team dynamics, leadership, and conflict management/resolution. Winery
3. management during harvest: Grape handling, winemaking protocols, and the mass balance (serving as both a regulatory and operational management tool). Winery technical layout aligned with planned operational protocols.
4. Quality control: Laboratory organization, control plans, the role of VALORITALIA, and tasting practices viewed in the context of evolving tastes and consumption patterns.
5. Management of white and rosé wines: analysis of facilities and execution of various operational processes – Wine evolution and diversification – Organic wines – The "fourth color"
6. Management of red wines: analysis of facilities and management of various operational processes – Fermentation vessels: strengths and critical aspects of various patented systems on the market – Wine evolution and diversification – Organic wines
7. Maturation management: stainless steel, wood, concrete, amphora, *cocciopesto*
8. Cellar practices and management of processing aids: acidity regulators, proteins, tannins, preservatives, antioxidants, fining agents, stabilizers, activators and sequestering agents, enzymes – oenological practices – regulatory, technical, and economic limits
9. Wine stabilization: physical, chemical, and natural methods; new technologies
10. Bottling management: equipment control and management – bottling and packaging materials (glass, labels, corks/closures, capsules, boxes) – product line management
11. Warehousing, logistics, and services: technical and economic aspects
12. Current and future scenarios: socio-cultural aspects of wine – wine tourism as a new opportunity for winery sustainability – corporate communication tools
13. Management control: cost allocation, projected and actual budgets, reporting – financial statement elements relevant to strategic decisions and corporate sustainability – introduction to statistics applied to defining operational and organizational standards in the cellar and variance analysis

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 held at the Tebano campus. Lectures utilize computers and video projectors. The provided materials—designed to foster a proactive approach to practical winery management—include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF files. Students will thus have access to a wide range of operational tools derived from the instructor’s more than thirty years of experience with medium- and large-scale cooperative and private enterprises. Approximately 30% of the classroom time will complement the theoretical instruction, focusing on case studies of Italian and European wineries; these will highlight diverse sustainable management models and production strategies that have enabled businesses to differentiate, adapt, and organize their operations in a highly dynamic manner. Tasting sessions featuring finished, semi-finished, and raw wines will also complement the course, allowing students to identify qualities and defects, as well as explore methods for correction and scenarios regarding evolution, aging, and stabilization.

Assessment methods

The final course examination consists of an oral test designed to assess the achievement of learning objectives and the candidate's clear understanding—across various production areas and management approaches—of the critical issues, strengths, and technical and economic sustainability of a winery. The evaluation will focus on the candidate's logical-deductive approach and their ability to demonstrate competence, decision-making skills, independent judgment, and creativity in the context of the future oenologist's operational and strategic management roles.

Teaching tools

Approximately 30% of classroom hours will complement the theoretical instruction and focus on case studies of Italian and European companies. These companies will be selected for their diverse sustainable management models and production strategies, showcasing their ability to differentiate, adapt, and organize their businesses in a highly dynamic manner. Practical sessions involving the tasting of finished, semi-finished, and raw wines will also complement the coursework; these will focus on identifying qualities and defects, determining corrective measures, and assessing potential evolution, aging, and stabilization processes. To supplement the textbooks and the extensive materials provided—which draw on over thirty years of industry experience—recommendations for additional reading and journals will be offered to facilitate further study and keep students up to date with the latest developments. The goal is to prepare the oenologist for winery operations, ensuring they are not only experts in production but also fully aware of the ethical, social, and environmental responsibilities inherent in the role. Furthermore, they will acquire skills in personnel planning and management, operational activities, logistics, and services, while maintaining a keen awareness of market dynamics. Finally, the program aims to equip them with the ability to implement constant, precise management control.

Office hours

See the website of Cleto Pirazzoli