UWA Handbook 2026

Minor Overview

About this minor

This minor develops business and economics skills relevant to working in the wine industry. This minor is ideal for students majoring in disciplines such as economics, commerce, business, law, agricultural science, and agribusiness, who seek a greater understanding of the wine sector. The minor is interdisciplinary and globally focused. As part of the minor students develop an understanding of wine economics, from both the Australian and European producer and consumer perspective. So that knowledge is placed within a real world business context, there are numerous industry engagement activities throughout the minor. So that issues such as production variability due to climate variability, and the increasing role of technology are well understood, students spend time in the University of Western Australia urban vineyard (Shenton Park Field station) and micro-winery to gain hands on experience of steps of the wine production process, from vineyard management, through wine making, to post-production marketing. The hands on real world experience elements of the minor complements the theory components covered in the minor.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) employ general microeconomic frameworks to analyse wine market problems; (2) demonstrate knowledge of core grape production and wine marketing concepts and processes; (3) appreciate the scientific and agricultural background relevant to perennial crop production and the subsequent marketing of perennial crops; and (4) demonstrate knowledge of the social and cultural influences on the industrial organisational structure of different wine markets.

Units