Session VII
Education in Integrated Vine and Wine Science
The diversification between wine-producing regions of the world is evident: production is declining in Europe, while other regions, including the Americas, Oceania, Africa and Asia, are experiencing growth. The economic importance of the wine sector is undisputed, and wineries need to adapt their strategies to meet market challenges and the requirements of environmental and social sustainability. Global wine consumption is growing steadily, and the emergence of new wine producing countries such as China is creating not only challenges but also new opportunities, as reflected in the demand for high quality secondary and tertiary education that meets the requirements of the viticulture and oenology sector.
Education in vine and wine science requires a new transdisciplinary approach because it must integrate scientific knowledge with social, economic, and environmental considerations to address complex challenges like sustainability, climate change, and market dynamics. A transdisciplinary model moves beyond traditional, siloed disciplines to foster collaboration among researchers, industry stakeholders, and policymakers to create practical, context-specific solutions. Distance learning technologies may be needed: collaborative mimetic interfaces, direct manipulation capabilities, telepointers, automatic electronic archiving, hypertext, and specialized software for different types of interaction.