CourseEstablished

Wine Yeasts & Fermentation Management

Choose and manage wine yeasts to achieve complete, clean fermentations and the desired aromatic profile.

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Level

Course

Modules

Duration

3 months · 72 h

Next start

January 11, 2027

Fee

$450

Format

Live online

Certificate

Course Certificate

Language

English US

School

Fermentation

Program identification

1.1Program name: Wine Yeasts & Fermentation Management
1.2Type of qualification: Course
1.3Provider / endorsing institution: Fungaris – International Institute of Mycology, School of Fungal Fermentation & Food Science. A Fungaris program of its own, not endorsed by a university.
1.4Mode of study: Online, with live sessions in a small group, recordings and a virtual campus.
1.5Duration (hours / ECTS credits): 3 months (12 weeks) · 72 hours in total · 6 modules of 12 hours · 12 live sessions of 2 hours. ECTS credits: not applicable (Fungaris own program, not an official university degree).
1.6Language: English
1.7Start and end dates / intake: Next intake: January 11, 2027 to April 2, 2027. Enrollment closes on January 4, 2027. Following intake: March 8, 2027. How intakes work →

wine yeastwine fermentation managementstuck fermentationBrettanomyces in winewinemaking microbiology

Overview

2.1Program description

A wine's fermentation decides much of its final character, and a stuck or spoiled fermentation can cost a winery an entire vintage. This course gives winemakers and cellar staff a practical understanding of the yeasts present in the vineyard and winery and of the choice between selected cultures and spontaneous fermentation. You will learn to manage nutrients and read fermentation kinetics, to prevent and restart stuck or sluggish fermentations, and to understand how yeasts shape aroma.

Special attention goes to Brettanomyces and other spoilage yeasts, which remain one of the most common quality problems in modern cellars. The instructor, selected for experience in winemaking or oenology, shares the monitoring routines, lab analyses and hygiene practices relied on during harvest. The course suits cellar hands, assistant winemakers and small producers who want to make confident decisions under pressure. Your final project is a fermentation management protocol for a specific wine, covering yeast strategy, nutrient additions, monitoring schedule, intervention thresholds and hygiene measures, written so that it could be used by a cellar team during the next harvest.

2.2Why it matters / what need it meets

It meets a practical need: applied, up-to-date knowledge in fermentation, useful in areas such as winemaking, oenological supplies, beverage quality control.

Mycology is moving fast and good practical training is still scarce. This program gives you a structured path, taught live by people who work in the field, so you can apply what you learn with judgment and safety.

Objectives and competences

3.1General objective

To finish the program able to apply its content professionally and with judgment. In short:

Choose and manage wine yeasts to achieve complete, clean fermentations and the desired aromatic profile.

3.2Specific objectives

Build the foundations: Yeasts in the vineyard and the winery; Selected versus spontaneous fermentations.
Put them into practice: Nutrient management and fermentation kinetics; Stuck and sluggish fermentations.
Apply everything to a real case: Aroma, Brettanomyces and spoilage yeasts; Monitoring, lab analysis and cellar hygiene.
Complete a final project reviewed by your instructor.

3.3Competences you will gain

Choose between selected and spontaneous fermentation for a given wine.
Plan nutrient additions using yeast assimilable nitrogen measurements.
Interpret fermentation curves and spot problems early.
Restart stuck fermentations using a structured protocol.
Prevent Brettanomyces and other spoilage through monitoring and hygiene.

Student profile

4.1Who it is for (entry profile)

Winemakers and cellar staff.

4.2Entry requirements

Basic knowledge of winemaking or some cellar experience is recommended. No laboratory equipment is required to follow the course.

4.3Career paths (exit profile)

Assistant winemaker
Cellar master or cellar supervisor
Winery laboratory technician
Harvest fermentation manager
Technical sales for oenological products

Sectors

winemakingoenological suppliesbeverage quality control

Outcomes depend on your experience and on your local market.

Study plan

5.1Overall structure (modules and workload)

Module	Title	Phase	Topics	Hours
01	Yeasts in the vineyard and the winery	Foundations	3	12
02	Selected versus spontaneous fermentations	Foundations	3	12
03	Nutrient management and fermentation kinetics	Practice	3	12
04	Stuck and sluggish fermentations	Practice	3	12
05	Aroma, Brettanomyces and spoilage yeasts	Application & project	3	12
06	Monitoring, lab analysis and cellar hygiene	Application & project	3	12
	Total			72

6 modules × 12 hours = 72 hours: 24 hours of live sessions, and the rest for campus study, exercises and the final project.

5.2Content by module

Hover or tap a module to follow the path from the first session to the final project. Open a module to see the topics it covers.

5.3Company placement

This program does not include a company placement. Practice is built into every module through exercises, case studies and the final project.

5.4Final project

Write a fermentation management protocol for a specific wine, ready for use by a cellar team.

Methodology

6.1How it is taught

Live online sessions, usually weekly, with a working professional and a small group.
Recordings of every session, so you can catch up if work or time zones get in the way.
Exercises and real case studies in every module.
Tutoring: your instructor answers questions and gives feedback on your exercises and project.

6.2Platform and resources

A Moodle virtual campus with session recordings, readings, exercises and forums for each module. You need a computer, an up-to-date browser and a stable connection; a webcam and microphone are recommended.

Technical requirements →

6.3Estimated weekly workload

About 6 hours a week for 12 weeks: one 2-hour live session on a weekday evening, plus study and exercises on the campus at your own pace.

Assessment

7.1Assessment system and weighting

Progress is assessed through participation in live sessions and exercises in each module. The instructor reviews the final project and provides individual feedback.

40%Participation and module exercises

60%Final project

7.2Requirements to pass

Complete every module, by attending the live sessions or watching the recordings.
Hand in the module exercises.
Have your final project approved by your instructor.

Teaching team

8.1Academic direction

At Fungaris, the Fermentation school coordinates the content and quality of this program. The academic director of each intake is named in the intake guide.

8.2Faculty

Taught by professionals who work in the field. The instructor for each intake is confirmed before the start.

Meet our faculty →

Certificate

9.1Certificate awarded

Course Certificate

On completing the program and its project, Fungaris issues a Course Certificate. Fungaris certificates are the institute's own. Whether an employer, school or authority recognizes them depends on that organization and on local rules in each country.

9.2Issuing body / recognition

Issued by Fungaris (operated by Nexora Generation, S.L.) as a digital certificate. It is a Fungaris certificate of its own: it is not an official university degree and does not award ECTS credits.

About our certificates →

Admission and enrollment

10.1Admission process (steps)

Send your request through the form or write to admissions.
Admissions reviews your profile and confirms the start date, the session schedule and the fee.
You secure your place with full payment or a 40% reservation.
You receive your campus access and welcome guide before the first session.

10.2Documents required

A valid identity document.
Contact and billing details (personal or company).

10.3Deadlines

Enrollment for the intake starting on January 11, 2027 is open until January 4, 2027, or until the group is full (maximum 20 students).

10.4Fee and payment options

Fee: $450

Full payment before the start: $360 (20% reduction).
40% reservation ($180) and 3 monthly installments of $90.

Fees and financing →

10.5Grants, discounts and funding

Discounts: 10% for Fungaris alumni and 15% for groups of three or more people from the same organization. Discounts cannot be combined with each other or with the full-payment reduction.

Your employer can pay for the program and receive the invoice in the company name. Whether a public or employer training budget can cover the fee depends on your country, so check with them.

10.6Cancellation policy

The conditions for canceling, withdrawing or moving to a later intake are explained in our cancellation policy and in your enrollment confirmation. Nothing there limits your rights under the consumer law that applies to you.

Cancellation and refunds →

Additional information

11.1Frequently asked questions

Do I need experience to study Wine Yeasts & Fermentation Management?

Basic knowledge of winemaking or some cellar experience is recommended. No laboratory equipment is required to follow the course.

How is Wine Yeasts & Fermentation Management taught?

Live online, in 6 modules with a working professional, a small group and a final project.

How am I assessed?

Progress is assessed through participation in live sessions and exercises in each module. The instructor reviews the final project and provides individual feedback.

What is the final project?

Write a fermentation management protocol for a specific wine, ready for use by a cellar team.

What certificate do I get?

What can I study after Wine Yeasts & Fermentation Management?

The natural next step is Diploma in Koji & Japanese Fermentation.

11.2Alumni testimonials

We only publish verified testimonials from real students. This program does not have any published yet; they will appear here once its first intakes finish.