Basic Chemistry for Winemakers

Has your lack of chemistry and science background kept you from pursuing your dream of being a winemaker? Or did you take chemistry so long ago that your science training is only a distant memory? Then this course is for you. Designed as a prerequisite for UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education’s Winemaking Certificate Program, this course provides an introduction to the basic tenets of general, organic and biological chemistry and serves as a foundation for understanding the science behind the winemaking process.

Winemaking involves much more than just general physical chemistry. As a product of grapes, wine is a complex solution of ethanol, organic acids, phenols, proteins and more. This intensive 13-week, online course operates at a brisk pace. The course will demand a commitment of 10 – 15 hours per week. In it you will receive an introduction to basic chemistry topics and areas of organic and biochemistry not usually covered in typical single-semester college chemistry, including: 

• Elements
• Molecules
• Bonding
• Chemical reactions
• Acids and bases
• Organic compounds
• Proteins and enzymes
• Metabolic pathways
• Wine chemistry topics

This course is based on the 2019 edition of Karen Timberlake’s text General, Organic and Biological Chemistry: Structures of Life. Your enrollment fee includes a subscription to the publisher’s “Mastering Chemistry” tool, which will provide each student access to the e-text, as well as an online practice, feedback and assessment forum.