Undergraduate Programs



We offer a number of opportunities for undergraduate students to engage with learning and research about wine.

Course Offerings

BIOC 307 (UBC Okanagan) Enology I

This course focuses on the chemistry and biochemistry of winemaking (enology) and grape-growing (viticulture), including i) the development of important major constituents of a wine such as ethanol, acids, sugars, and colour, ii) the subtle aspects of the aroma, iii) the odour-active compounds and how they form, and iv) the effects of storing a wine in oak barrels.

FNH 330 (UBC Vancouver) Introduction to Wine Science I

Principles of viticulture, enology, and wine microbiology and chemistry; marketing, regulation and classification of wines from selected regions of the world; social, economic and health aspects of wine consumption; wine appreciation.

FNH 335 (UBC Vancouver) Introduction to Wine Science II

Review of diverse styles of wine with consideration of classic wine-producing areas. Concepts in wine microbiology/chemistry; overview of steps in grape processing for diverse wine styles. Comparison of regulations for Canadian VQA systems with international systems. Wine sensory analysis.

BIOC 408 (UBC Okanagan) Enology II

The course considers advanced aspects of wine biochemistry and chemistry (enology) such as, the physicochemical stability of wine, the tartaric and protein instabilities and their treatments, the colloidal state and the fining of wine, and the physicochemical evolution of wine during aging. 

FNH 430 (UBC Vancouver) Enology and Wine Biotechnology

Yeasts and bacteria involved in wine making, metabolic pathways leading to the production of flavour and spoilage compounds, genetic improvement of wine yeasts, and red and white wine fermentations. Approaches and technologies for the improvement of wine safety. Sensory evaluation of wines

GEOG 435 (UBC Okanagan) Wine Geographies

This course examines geographical expressions and processes of wine, viniculture and viticulture. Appellation and terroir frame investigation of the nature-human endeavour interfaced in wine production and consumption. Geographic approaches include cultural history, global and localized political economies, cultural adaptation to climate, landscape and physical geography.

APBI 442 (UBC Vancouver) Wine Grape and Berry Biology

The goal of this course is to provide students with a deep understanding of grapevine biology and of the major biological features of other important berry crops for British Columbia such as blueberry, cranberry, and raspberry.

APBI 443 (UBC Vancouver) Field Study of Wine Grape Production / BIOL 420 (UBC Okanagan) Special Topics in Biology – Field Study of Wine Grape Production

Lectures, field trips, laboratory sessions focused on major issues related to grape and wine production. Origin of grape varieties and rootstocks, morphological features of the grapevine, training systems, canopy management strategies, berry composition, the impact of terroir on wine quality.

GEOG 491 (UBC Okanagan) Special Topics in Geography. Rural Sustainability: Wine, Food and Tourism in Central Italy / SUST 491 (UBC Okanagan) Special Topics in Sustainability. Rural Sustainability: Wine, Food and Tourism in Central Italy

Rural Sustainability is an experiential field course. It explores the historic and contemporary connections between the rural countryside, wine, food and tourism in Central Italy within a framework of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The focus of this course is on the role of wine, food and tourism, in sustaining rural communities and landscapes. It takes place at an historic wine estate in Tuscany. As an experiential field course participation in excursions, fieldwork and workshops on the estate are mandatory components in the course.