Frisco | October 2024

Education

BY HANNAH JOHNSON

University of North Texas offers new wine, beer program

University of North Texas students now have the opportunity to learn how wine and beer is made at an industrial level. The Enology and Brewing Undergraduate Minor program launched at UNT at Frisco in the fall 2024 semester. The 18-hour program includes courses on enology, the study of winemaking, and the brewing process for beer. It also offers cross-disci- pline courses in business and marketing. UNT’s program is unique with only about half a dozen universities across the United States offer- ing a similar program, clinical professor Andrew Snyder said. He explained UNT’s program is not focused solely on textbook information, but allows students to use the equipment and work directly in the development process. “This will be a very hands-on program, both on the brewing side and the winemaking side,” Snyder said. “That’s where you get the best experiences.”

About the program The minor program gives students the skillset to work in the wine and beer industry. This includes leadership, teamwork, sales and marketing, distribution methods and merchandising, among others. Texas is in the top 10 states for the number of craft breweries and wineries, which contribute over $20 billion in economic value to the state, according to the Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association. This includes more than 500 wineries and 443 growers across 4,000 acres dedicated to grape-growing. Having a minor in enology and brewing will help boost student’s resumes for wineries and other distributors, Snyder said. “A program like this will supply the wine industry,” Snyder said. “This is a program that’s in need.”

Potential jobs

• Enologist • Wine buyer • Cellar master • Vineyard manager • Retailer

• Production planner • Sales manager • Warehouse manager • Restaurant or bar manager

SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS/COMMUNITY IMPACT

Looking ahead A possible program expansion includes the program earning a Texas Alcoholic Beverage Com- mission license that would allow the university to sell the wine and beer students make. Program leaders are also pursuing establishing a sister city relationship for the city of Frisco with another enology or brewing city. “This is another opportunity for Frisco to be on the map,” Snyder said.

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