Study wine

“The appeal of Hochschule Geisenheim University lies in its global reputation and unique focus on wine,” says Karl Thiel from South Africa. He should know – he’s one of the many international students at this distinctive university in the Rheingau region. Geisenheim University combines research with practical, hands-on teaching. Its range of subjects includes wine and food as well as horticulture and landscape architecture. Students from over 50 countries come to Geisenheim to explore the many facets of wine at Hochschule Geisenheim University (HGU). 

Karl Thiel is currently in his second semester of the English-language bachelor’s degree programme International Wine Business. The course covers everything from sensory analysis and taste to business management and marketing. In Geisenheim, there are dedicated degree programmes in viticulture – both in German and English – which address aspects such as organic winegrowing, grapevine breeding and climate impact research. At the university’s own vineyard, both fundamental and applied research is carried out with a strong focus on practical application. A new research centre for sustainable and climate-resilient winegrowing is currently being established at the university. Students on the Beverage Technology programme also learn everything there is to know about wine production. 

HGU has a wide network of partner universities, from the Americas to Australia. One example is the French–Australian–German “Bordeaux–Adelaide–Geisenheim Alliance”, in which partner institutions collaborate on grape and wine research, teaching and technology transfer. 

Competition for new drinks 

HGU also promotes innovation in other areas – through the Drink Innovation Challenge, for instance, jointly run with EBS Universität für Wirtschaft und Recht, also based in the Rheingau. Past entries have included ideas as diverse as iced tea made from vine leaves and juice derived from grape by-products. Winners of the competition are awarded a prototype production run at HGU’s cutting-edge Beverage Technology Centre.