Viticulture, enology classes available online and in

Media Contact: Release# 230814

Julie Pharr

Public Information Officer

336-386-3452

SCC Offers Online and In-Person Viticulture & Enology Classes for Fall 2023 Semester

DOBSON — Surry Community College is offering online and in-person classes related to viticulture, the study of grape cultivation, and enology, the study of wine and winemaking, for the fall 2023 semester.

Online classes include Wine Tasting, which runs Oct. 16 through Dec. 18, with a course fee of $71; Fundamentals of Viticulture & Enology, which runs Aug. 17 through Oct. 13, also with a course fee of $71; and Wines of the World, which has a synchronous meeting from 5 to 6 p.m. on Mondays, Aug. 17 through Oct. 13, with the remainder of the coursework being completed online. The course fee for this class is $127.

In-person classes include Introduction to Viticulture, which meets from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Aug. 17 through Dec. 14, with a course fee of $183; Grape Harvest, which meets 8 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays, Aug. 22 through Sep. 19; and Introduction to Winemaking, which meets from 4 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, Aug. 23 through Dec. 13, with a course fee of $127.

These courses can be taken through the Viticulture and Enology Curriculum or through SCC’s Workforce, Technologies & Community Education program. SCC offers the option of a two-year degree or four certificate options in viticulture, enology, wine marketing, and tasting room operations.

Surry Community College has the only licensed, bonded winery in the Southeast as part of a college educational program and is the only community college in the Southeast to teach the production of wine from the field to the bottle.

The 2,500-gallon capacity winery has produced wine that has earned more than 150 medals and awards since 2009, including two Double Gold awards at the 2016 NC State Fair, a 2020 NC Fine Wines Competition Best White Vinifera award, a 2021 NC Fine Wines Competition Best Sparkling award, and a 2023 NC Fine Wines Competition Best Red award.

The five-acre teaching and demonstration vineyard across the street from the main campus in Dobson provides hands-on learning experiences for students which prepares them for each segment of the growing season.

The college produces about 1,500 cases of wine per year along with offering instruction for the degree program, continuing education classes, performing applied research, conducting grant work, and hosting an annual wine symposium each November.

High school juniors and seniors can take viticulture classes incorporating vineyard field work with grape science and earn classes toward completing a Viticulture certificate at Surry Community College as a part of the tuition-free, Career & College Promise dual enrollment program.

Anyone with questions about these classes or the program should contact Jeff Jones, sciences division chair, at 336-386-3391 or [email protected] or go to surry.edu/wine. Application and class registration information is available on surry.edu or by calling 336-386-3264 or [email protected].