Australia and New Zealand are two of the world's largest wine producing countries, consequently the wine courses offered in their colleges are some of the best in the world. Whatever your area of interest in wine - growing grapevines, wine making or marketing and management - there will be a course available to suit. Your vocational course will enable you access to an active industry and hands-on experience in real vineyards.
A wine course might start with a general certificate, for which the main entry requirements are an enthusiasm and commitment to working in the wine industry. After this you can move on to a diploma where you will get an opportunity to specialise in your area of interest. During this time, a good course will enable you to gain a lot of practical experience in the industry and once completed the diploma should put you in good stead to find yourself employment in the industry. However, it is possible to study further in wine, with degrees and masters courses available in some topics as well.
When choosing your course in wine, the key thing is to look at, is which areas of specialisation your course will develop into. Some colleges offer courses that are primarily geared towards viticulture (growing and cultivation of grapes), whereas others might be focused more on management of a vineyard or cellar door. Before you start you want to have some idea of which are of the industry you would most like to work in - not all jobs involve tasting different wines all day! Read the course titles and descriptions of courses carefully before you decide; and if you are really are passionate about wine, don't let destination restrict you, choose based on the best vines and the best learning experience!