AUSTRALIA'S only TAFE campus with a fully functioning winery where students enjoy hands-on experience in the wine-making process is ready for its next batch of students.
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For Hollydene Estate Wines general manager Emma Williams, the course has only cemented her passion for the wine industry.
Originally she was looking at a short course to bridge her knowledge but a combination of theory and practical skills in the viticulture diploma changed her mind.
"I am loving it. I was looking for a wine appreciation course but then I found this," Ms Williams said.
"I decided to do the whole viticulture course."
Students are taught how to monitor and manage soils for production projects, evaluate wine, diagnose plant health problems, manage staff, develop a grape production plan and chemical use strategy, oversee vineyard practices, manage water systems, operate equipment and machinery, and much more.
She praised "the practical work" and "learning the finer details" of the wine industry from bottling wine to collecting soil samples.
"It's very informative ... I find the teachers are very patient and very knowledge," Ms Williams said. "It's cementing it in and now it makes more sense.
"I would definitely recommend it. They are really flexible with other commitments.
"You're learning the wine subjects, such as making it, but also the agricultural side of it. You have the potential to go in a lot of directions."
Viticulture students undertake two wine harvest periods during their studies to gain the required practical skills and knowledge needed to be job-ready for the industry.
The TAFE NSW Kurri Kurri showed products- both the diploma course and the winery's red and white wines, branded Intuition - at the recent Stomp Festival in Cessnock.
An information and enrolment session will be conducted on Monday, July 1 from 12.30pm at the TAFE NSW Kurri Kurri Winery on McLeod Road.