Centred in a region celebrated for the diversity and quality of its wine styles, EIT offers New Zealand’s widest range of viticulture and wine science programmes.

Highly-qualified lecturers with industry experience teach programmes that range from certificates through to diplomas, bachelor degrees and graduate diplomas and encompass grape growing, winemaking, wine business and wine marketing.

EIT’s strong connections with the local wine industry provide opportunities for students to gain practical hands-on experience working in wineries and vineyards in the area.

Their learning environment also includes the institute’s purpose-built teaching and research winery which processes grapes donated by local growers and those harvested from EIT’s own vineyard at the heart of the viticulture and wine science complex.

Programmes are designed to be flexible, providing a variety of study options – full and part-time, February and July starts and on-campus and by distance online learning with compulsory residential schools held in Hawke’s Bay.  The wide range of programmes enables graduates to progress to higher-level qualifications.

The concurrent Bachelor of Viticulture and Bachelor of Wine Science is a unique opportunity to simultaneously study two degrees and graduate in 4 ½ years.

EIT also offers its Certificate in Grapegrowing and Winemaking at its Tairawhiti campus in Gisborne, which operates the 1.6ha vineyard and winery producing wines under the Waimata Wine label.

As Paul Robinson, a Bachelor of Viticulture and Bachelor of Wine Science graduate and 2014’s New Zealand Viticulturist of the Year winner, points out:  “The fact that EIT graduates have won the New Zealand Viticulturist of the Year for the last three years shows the quality of the graduates, lecturers and the systems EIT has in place.”