Viticulture resources
Interactive activities teach grapevine growth, leaf ID, viticulture, winemaking, and careers. Students explore seasonal cycles, decision-making, and sustainability in wine production.
The story of a grapevine
This activity introduces learners to the life cycle of a grapevine, from rootstock to grape harvest. It’s designed to help students understand the seasonal development and anatomy of grapevines.
Key learning points
- Stages of growth
- Seasonal cycle: Spring bud burst, summer flowering and fruiting, autumn harvest, winter dormancy.
- Parts of the vine: Includes trunk, cordons, shoots, tendrils, leaves, flowers, and fruit clusters.
Activity tasks
- Label a diagram with the parts of a grapevine.
- Create a seasonal calendar by matching growth stages to months.
Vine leaf identification activity
Explore the fascinating world of grapevine leaves through this interactive activity designed to help learners identify and colour different grape varieties based on their leaf shapes and features.
Students will:
- Match leaf descriptions to four popular grape varieties grown in New Zealand.
- Learn key leaf features such as lobes, petiole sinus, and teeth.
- Colour the leaves based on the variety’s characteristics and suggested colours.
Viticulture pick-a-path task
This interactive decision-making activity places students in the role of a winery owner in Canterbury, guiding them through the viticulture process to produce high-quality Chardonnay.
Key learning points
- Seasonal vineyard management: Leaf mulching, cover cropping, pruning, and pest control.
- Scientific decision-making: Students evaluate options based on environmental impact, vineyard health, and wine quality.
- Fermentation and winemaking: Includes yeast selection, malic acid processing, and bottling techniques.
Activity format
- Pick-a-path style: Students make choices at each stage, earning or losing points based on outcomes.
- Scorecard: Tracks decisions and final wine quality.
- Discussion prompts: Encourage reflection on sustainability and vineyard care.
Wine making and careers pick-a-path task
This immersive activity casts students as winemakers targeting the American market, navigating grape sourcing, vineyard visits, and wine production while learning about careers in viticulture and oenology.
Key learning points
- Wine production journey: From vineyard selection to fermentation and bottling.
- Environmental and logistical decisions: Includes climate risks, pest management, and vineyard philosophy (biodynamic vs conventional).
- Career exploration: Students match roles like agronomist, vineyard manager, cellar hand, and lab technician to their responsibilities.
Activity format
- Interactive card-based game: Students collect cards, make decisions, and earn points.
- Career matching: Correctly identifying roles earns bonus points.
- Wine label creation: Students design a label to reflect their wine’s story and values.
Vine to Wine book
The Vine to Wine book has been developed to empower teachers with resources to enable inclusion of wine industry related topics in Years 11 to 13. The content includes industry-sourced data and examples to assist teachers to build their knowledge and create resources for teaching students.
Download the Vine to Wine book on the New Zealand Wine website
