Italy: Viticulture and Enology in the Mediterranean Region

Travel to the historical heart of Italian wine culture to study wine history, sensory evaluation and production.

About the Program

This intensive Maymester course consists of a combination of lectures, field trips to vineyards and wineries, horticulture and sensory labs and is co-taught by professors from the Departments of Horticulture, Plant Pathology and Food Science and Technology.

Students of this program will study:

Health implications of wine consumption
Characteristics of different grape varieties
Cultivation techniques
Grapevine diseases
Pest management
Wine types
Steps in the winemaking process
Microbiological and chemical processes of vinification
Sensory implications of winemaking decisions

Since 1970, UGA has been hosting study abroad programs in the Tuscan hill town of Cortona.

During the Viticulture and Enology program, students will learn about the economic and historical significance of wine, and the science of its production, while experiencing the Italian culture. Students eat their dinners in a local, family-run restaurant and share dorm rooms in a renovated 15 century convent on campus.

At the end of this program, students will have a unique appreciation of Italian culture and the various components involved in wine production.

CAES Experiential Learning Scholarship

Apply for the Experiential Learning Scholarship

The CAES Experiential Learning scholarship is available to CAES students pursuing experiential learning activities. Eligible experiential learning activities include study abroad programs, domestic field studies, internships, fellowships, service-learning projects, professional development, leadership-building programs and entrepreneurship. Students participating in both credit and non-credit experiential learning activities may apply. This scholarship is supported in part by the Deans' Promise Fund. Applications are open to all who intend to participate in Experiential Learning in Fall/Winter 2026, Spring 2027 or Summer 2027. CAES students may apply BEFORE a program runs and BEFORE they are accepted. However, scholarship money will not be awarded until the student is officially accepted and committed to the program. The first wave of applications will be due October 1, 2026 and the second wave of applications will open on October 15, 2026 and close December 1, 2026 . A third wave of applications will be open on January 11, 2027 and close April 1st, 2027. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE THIRD WAVE DEADLINE. **Please note: this application is not intended for students applying to the following programs: Congressional Ag Fellows, Georgia Legislative Internship, Georgia Agribusiness Council Internship or the Winegrowers of Georgia Internship. Separate online applications are available for those programs.