FLCC pioneers hybrid online viticulture certificate

The program makes it possible for residents of other eastern U.S. wine regions to learn the basics of the industry without leaving home.

Finger Lakes Community College has launched an online program that makes its education and training programs for vineyardists and winemakers accessible to other East Coast wine regions.

The college’s viticulture and wine technology degree and certificate programs have trained the workforce for the Finger Lakes region’s prolific industry for more than a decade. The nine-county area has 144 wineries, more than any other region of the state.

Now, the college is offering education and training to those outside the Finger Lakes with a hybrid program that requires online study and proof of hands-on proficiency from a sponsoring winery or vineyard.

“We want Finger Lakes graduates to be able to demonstrate proficiency in key industry skills,” said Gina Lee, coordinator of the program. “Students in the online program make arrangements with a licensed vineyard or winery to mentor them in the hands-on tasks and vouch for their completion. It’s an extra step, but well worth it because our graduates will have an advantage in the job market.”

Abby Selnick The combination of online education with a hands-on component made the FLCC program stand out for Abby Selnick of Ellicott City, Md.

Selnick, 22, works for the University of Maryland Extension where she tests soil and plant tissue to develop nutrient management plans for agricultural producers, including vineyards, in Montgomery County. She also has a drone business, Selnick Precision Agriculture, to survey farm fields and monitor crops for growth and signs of disease and insects.

A 2023 internship with Linganore Winecellars in Frederick County, Md., gave her direct experience caring for vines and the opportunity to observe winemaking.

“I like the creativity of winemaking, and the attention to detail it involves is something that really appeals to me,” she said.

Selnick would like to own a vineyard and winery one day and looked online for a program that would accommodate her work life.

“I still wanted to make money while continuing my education,” she explained.

Joseph Fiola, the specialist in viticulture and small fruit for the University of Maryland Extension, will be Selnick’s sponsor. He works with vineyard and winery owners to increase production and improve quality. Fiola will confirm for FLCC that Selnick has completed tasks such as pruning and tying vines, harvesting and fermenting.

Gina Lee “Abby’s job with an agricultural agency makes her work with Dr. Fiola a good fit for the hands-on portion of FLCC’s program,” said Lee. “Formal training is important as wine regions develop local talent, and it needs to fit people’s lives.”

Lee expects most interest to come from vineyards and wineries that want to elevate employees’ knowledge without disrupting the work schedule. They can also provide the space and equipment necessary.

Another option for students is to start the program online and then temporarily relocate close to the college’s teaching winery in Geneva to complete the hands-on elements of winemaking.

Selnick got a head start by transferring general chemistry credits from her University of Maryland bachelor’s program and completed FLCC’s Introduction to Wines and Vines in the fall. The certificate program consists of nine classes spread over the course of a year.

About 10 percent of FLCC’s graduates transfer to Cornell University’s viticulture and enology program.

Finger Lakes Community College instructors and students work with the label machine at the college’s Viticulture and Wine Center in Geneva, N.Y., a teaching and commercial winery. Students can enroll anytime, though fall enrollment works best for the two-year degree and spring enrollment for the certificate.

FLCC was the first East Coast school to launch a two-year degree in viticulture and wine technology in 2009. The program was a response to family-run wineries looking for formal training for next-generation leadership and to build a larger workforce. The college’s Viticulture and Wine Center is also a commercial winery. Student-made wines are sold at Ryan’s Wine and Spirits in Canandaigua and Pedulla’s Wine and Liquor in Geneva. Each year’s vintage bears a different label developed by an FLCC graphic design student.

More information is available at flcc.edu/winemaking. To reach Gina Lee, email Gina.Lee@flcc.edu.