France is currently hosting in the city of Dijon, Burgundy, the 45th World Congress of Vine and Wine and the 2024 General Assembly of  the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV),  an institution that  will be celebrating its centenary on November 29, 2024, As a major academic and scientific partner of the OIV, Institut Agro, with its long standing expertise in vine and wine, has played a central role in training professionals in the wine industry.. Its internally recognized  courses  attract students from all over the world to Montpellier and Dijon every year.

One example of the collaboration between Institut Agro and the OIV is the Master of Science in Wine Management, awarded by the OIV upon completion of a training program run by Institut Agro in partnership with global leading universities in the field of vine and wine. This unique 18-month program, launched in 1986, is delivered across 25 countries in the world and covers the many economic, managerial, and intercultural aspects of the wine sector.
The OIV has also relies  primarily on the expertise of researchers and scientists in Montpellier, notably from  Institut Agro but also from INRAE and from the Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin, to organise its annual international training courses in ampelography, a key discipline for the global wine economy and one of Institut Agro’s historical strong fields of expertise. The curriculum of the National Diploma in Oenology,  was overhauled in 2021 to take into account the OIV's guidelines  on training oenologists, which are updated on a regular basis since 1976.

A Broad Range of Programs from Undergraduate to PhD Level

Institut Agro’s training programs  fully integrate the standards and recommendations of the OIV, offering a comprehensive range of qualifications from undergraduate to doctoral levels, covering viticulture, oenological practices and analysis, economics, law, culture, health and safety. Thes  include:

• 2 professional bachelor’s degrees as well as an international bachelor program, jointely delivered by Institut Agro and two of its partner institutions, Bordeaux Sciences Agro and Agro Toulouse (INP Toulouse);
• 5 master’s programs, including the National Diploma of Oenology and the Vinifera International Master’s Program;
• 3 agricultural engineering programs focused on vine and wine;
• Doctoral programs with currently 25  PhD projects in viticulture and wine studies;
• Lifelong-learning courses, range at higher national diploma (BTSA) level, which are delivered through distance learning

Every year, about 500 students enroll in Institut Agro’s wine-related programs, 100 of these are international students from various countries.

International Collaboration : a Core Aspect Institut Agro’s Teaching and Learning

Institut Agro has established a broad and rich network of collaborations with top national and international academic partnerships to develop its research and training activities to the highest standards. This network, which include  institutions from  OIV member-states and non-members, provides students with the opportunity to develop a global understanding of key issues such as market globalization, evolving consumption trends, sustainable practices, and climate change adaptation. Through bilingual courses, dual degrees, student exchanges, and summer schools, this deliberately international approach enables students to be well prepared to thrive in a rapidly changing wine industry while developing a global professional network.

Read more

• Visit the Institut Agro's Vine and Wine Centre website
• Read the focus on vine-growing and wine-producing training courses on the website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (in french):
  France, an attractive place to train in the vine-growing and wine-producing professions