Viticulture & Winery Technology

Degree / Certificate Pathways

Exploration Pathway

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ABOUT THE PROGRAM

 

Our Napa Valley College Viticulture and Winery Technology Program (VWT) trains students for careers in the wine industry here in the world-famous Napa Valley and throughout the world.  Students can focus on Viticulture, Winery Technology or Wine Marketing and Sales.  Our courses prepare students for new careers in the wine industry and help current industry employees to advance their careers. Students learn to apply viticulture and winemaking theory in production situations through a combination of classroom instruction and hands on practice.  Our teaching facilities include a 5.5 acre student vineyard, a bonded teaching winery, wine lab space and very soon, a wine sales and hospitality lab. All program instructors are experienced wine industry professionals.

Catalog Information

VISIT THE Teaching WINERY

 

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Our Facilities

The Teaching Winery

The NVC Teaching Winery and Cellar occupies a dedicated production facility on the main Napa campus, fully equipped to support every stage of commercial winemaking. The space is integrated directly into the Viticulture and Winery Technology curriculum, meaning students work here as part of their coursework — not as observers, but as the winemaking team.

The facility includes:

Crush Pad & Receiving Area — Where harvest begins. Students receive and sort fruit from the estate vineyard and donated lots, operate destemming and crushing equipment, and make early winemaking decisions about pressing and maceration.

Fermentation Area — Housing both stainless steel tanks and open-top fermenters, this space is where students monitor and manage alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, conduct pump-overs and punch-downs, and track the chemistry of developing wine.

Barrel Cellar — A working cellar where students gain hands-on experience with barrel aging, topping, and sensory evaluation. Current inventory includes 2023 and 2025 Cabernet Sauvignon, with one barrel of the 2025 vintage contributed to the Napa Valley Vintners Barrel Auction.

Bottling & Labeling Station — Students complete the full production cycle by operating bottling equipment, corking, capsule application, and label runs. The inaugural 2025 Rosé and 2025 Sauvignon Blanc were both processed and labeled here by the VWT 280 class.

The Teaching Vineyard

A 5-acre estate vineyard on the Napa Valley College main campus, including a diverse vineyard library block with multiple varietals. Students gain hands-on training in pruning, canopy management, and harvest — overseen by Program Coordinator Molly Hodgins.

Coming soon!

The Wine Education Complex

The Wine Education Complex represents a significant expansion in Napa Valley College's history of wine education — a multi-phase building that brings together state-of-the-art instructional facilities, community gathering spaces, and professional training environments under one roof on the main Napa campus. The Complex is made up of the Wine Spectator Wine Education Center and the Donna Altes Hospitality Training Center. 

The complex is the result of sustained investment from the NVC Foundation, Wine Spectator, and a community of donors who share a belief that world-class wine education belongs here in Napa Valley, and at Napa Valley College.

The Wine Spectator Wine Education Center, was made possible through the generosity of Wine Spectator and has more than doubled the instructional space available to NVC's wine and viticulture programs. The building serves as the academic and social heart of the complex — home to lectures, tastings, industry events, and the Friday Tasting Series that has become a fixture of the broader Napa Valley community.

 

The Wine and Hospitality Training Center, completes the complex and significantly expands the College's capacity to deliver hands-on training in hospitality, culinary arts, tasting room management, and wine-country tourism. Together, the two phases create a fully integrated environment where students move fluidly between academic instruction, real production experience, and professional practice.

 

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