Autonomous University of Baja California

In 2004, at the request of the then Rector of the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), Dr. Alejandro Mungaray L., I developed the curriculum for a Specialization in Viticulture and Enology to be offered by the university. I spent six months developing the curriculum, and once it was finished, I was offered a position as an Academic Technician at the University.

During this period I taught various courses at the University while the curriculum awaited approval. In 2006 I presented the proposal to the University’s Technical Council, which approved it. That same year the School of Enology and Gastronomy was founded and my position was transferred there. I was appointed Coordinator of Research and Graduate Studies and a member of the UABC Viticulture and Enology Academic Body, and I taught Winemaking, Enology, and the History of Viticulture and Wine.

Summary of the Specialization Proposal

Objectives of the specialization

The specialization has two main objectives, both aimed at developing the regional and national wine industry.

  1. Training qualified personnel
  2. Building a regional and national research hub in the field of viticulture and winemaking

Training qualified personnel is intended to open alternative career paths for graduates of the region’s biological science programs, to strengthen the grape-growing and winemaking skills of producers who have no formal training in the field, and to provide advanced regional training that enables applied research in viticulture and enology.

A research hub will help solve producers’ problems, carry out research and make scientific information available to everyone, and, last but not least, identify potential new growing areas in the state and the rest of the country, which will undoubtedly create new opportunities for investment and development.

Goals and objectives of the specialization

Short-term objectives: Consolidate the academic program and the lines of research that will support the practical part of the program.

The medium-term goals of the specialization are: Establish agreements with academic institutions and with the productive sector related to the national and international wine industry.

The long-term goals are to consolidate the research unit in the Guadalupe Valley, to promote and launch research funded by public and private sources, and, finally, to promote the specialization at other institutions in the country, especially in regions with potential for wine production.

Rationale for the curriculum

For decades, much of the development of the wine industry has relied on trial and error, which is highly inefficient and costly for producers. There is also a shortage of technical staff: the vast majority of those working in the country are either foreigners or Mexicans trained abroad.

In addition, regional producers are asking for technical training and for research that addresses the region’s problems.

Finally, Baja California’s importance in wine production is well known: more than 95% of the country’s table wine is produced in the region, generating 186,000 days of work over the growing season (SAGARPA, 2004). Interest in investing in the national wine industry is also growing, and these new ventures will need qualified staff to run them.

Graduate profile

Graduates will understand and manage the factors that govern the establishment of commercial vineyards, as well as those involved in turning grapes into wine. They will be able to apply the protocols and technologies used in wine analysis, and will be familiar with the history and current state of viticulture and winemaking.

They will be able to manage a commercial vineyard, making efficient use of the available resources, to diagnose and correct its problems, and to assess winemaking problems and take preventive or corrective action. They will be able to carry out chemical and sensory analysis of wines and interpret the results. Finally, they will foster teamwork and coordination with other organizations in the sector.

They will be committed to the responsible and sustainable use of natural resources and chemical inputs. They will act responsibly when handling products intended for human consumption, and will show initiative and creativity in finding solutions to the region’s problems.

Job market

In the short term, the job market includes existing wineries at the regional, national and international level, as well as public and private research and development departments serving the wine industry.

In the medium and long term, it is worth bearing in mind that sound scientific information on viticulture and winemaking, together with a skilled workforce, are the strongest incentives for investment.

Lines of research

Little research on vineyard plant health has been carried out in the region, so more effort needs to go into developing lines of research. Some proposals follow:

  • Collection and morphological, physiological and genetic characterization of wild and feral grapevines (Mission).
  • Genetic sources of resistance to environmental stress.
  • Genetic sources of resistance to pests and diseases.
  • Viticultural suitability models based on soil and climate characteristics.
  • Water stress management.