Basic viticulture and history An introduction. Grape species, varieties, and their origins, clones, rootstocks, hybrids, grafting, history of viticulture, cultural practices. Harvest decisions/ripening and fruit chemistryClimate and weather, temperature, sunlight, light spectrum, the process of ripening, photosynthesis, physiological ripeness, berry constituents, when to harvest, machine vs. manual harvesting. Grapevine canopy managementManaging vines, training and trellising, pruning, vine vigor, yield vs. quality, canopy assessment methods (shading indices, sun fleck analysis, and point quadrat analysis), methods to improve grape berry exposure to light (hedging, leaf removal). Terroir and soil managementSite selection, planting, climate classifications, soil composition, soil nutrients, interactions between soil, nutrients and water, biodynamics and organics, the concept of terroir, geography and geology, Old World vs. New World. Vine physiology, vine balanceThe vineyard cycle, balancing vegetative and reproductive growth, physiology of the vine. Water and nutrient balances Water and irrigation, precipitation, hazards, nutrients required for grapevine growth, and drainage. Grapevine structure and function Grapevine anatomy, structure of roots, leaves, trunks, buds, tendrils, flowers, fruits and stems, cellular components, one-year-old wood (cane or spur) vs. permanent wood (cordon). Grapevine pathogens and diseases Introduction to pests and diseases of the vine and their management and prevention. Molecular methods in plant science used for grapevine improvementCurrent techniques in molecular biology are routinely used to study grapevine genetics and physiology and to develop improved grapevines.