Time for a change
At some point, I just thought ‘I want to do something different’. I wanted something stable career-wise; asked around, and through some friends found out about the International Wine Business programme. I said to myself ‘I’m really interested in wine, so why not make a career out of a hobby and passion of mine?’ So this programme was exactly right for me.
Exciting excursions & guest lecturers
A highlight of the first year was that we didn’t just stay at the university. We went to vineyards and visited well-known wine producers like Jurtschitsch, Heinrich and Bründlmayer. Another highlight was the three great international guest lecturers that we had for wine tasting and description, including Andreas Wickhoff, who is a certified Master of Wine. You get so much out of this – this international environment – created not just by your classmates, but also by the excellent lecturers. Some of the lecturers... well, we were just amazed by what we learnt.
Planning your studies is easy
What I also really like is the clearly structured approach here. You know where you stand, so it’s easy to plan your studies. That’s why I went for a University of Applied Sciences. In the first year we had every Friday off. I also work a few hours at Jurtschitsch winery, where I’m in charge of events and wine tastings. So I’m already getting some experience, even before I’ve done my practical training semester. And I’m going to do that at Jurtschitsch, too.
Dont't put too much pressure on yourself
After two years on the programme, I can say that I’ve become more relaxed. I was a bit apprehensive during the first semester because it was such a long time since I had had to study so intensively; it took time to get used to how things were organised. But now I feel great about it all. I coped well in my first years, despite all the exams, group assignments and a part-time job.
My tip
Lots of people think that you’ll “just” end up working as a sommelier – but that’s not the case. The programme focuses on business administration, marketing, export, logistics and legal topics. It qualifies you to work in a lot of different industries, not just in the wine business.
