French Wine Business Certificate

The purpose of the French Language Certificate is to enhance the international and global perspective of students in the Wine Business Program at Sonoma State University by combining their rigorous studies in Wine Business with earned proficiency in the French language and culture at the beginning, intermediate, or advanced level. Given the prominent role France has long played in the wine industry and the close ties between Sonoma-Napa wineries and French wineries, the program is especially relevant to SSU students. It enables Wine Business students to function at their chosen level of proficiency within the context of the French wine industry, and is unique and innovative. The program also supports the university’s fundamental mission, cultivating a broad cultural perspective among students while enhancing their ability to pursue fulfilling careers in the international arena.

Students who enroll in the program will choose the level of proficiency they plan to attain, completing at least one year of college-level French at Sonoma State University. (Specific grade requirements apply at each level.) In French classes at all levels, students will incorporate elements of French wine culture into their course projects. The French and Wine Business faculty will collaborate to design field trips to local wineries, the French-American Chamber of Commerce, etc., for students enrolled in the certificate program. Students in the Wine Business program are already required to complete an internship with a local winery; if possible, students in the French Language Certificate for Wine Business program will be paired with local wineries owned and operated by French winemakers, or will be encouraged to seek a summer internship with a winery in one of the many wine-producing regions of France.

This certificate program may be of particular interest to entering freshmen, who will have the opportunity to enroll in the appropriate-level French class in the Humanities Learning Community during their first year at SSU, while they are completing their Pre-Business requirements.

Handouts

For more information about the French Language Certificate for Wine Business please contact Department Chair, Michaela Grobbel, grobbel@sonoma.edu .

Learn more about the Wine Business Strategies Concentration.

About Sonoma State University's Wine Business Institute

Founded in 1996, Sonoma State University's Wine Business Institute is the first program in the United States to offer undergraduate and graduate degrees focused exclusively on the business aspects of the wine industry. In addition to its academic programs the Wine Business Institute offers an array of seminars and certificates. Its faculty members are published experts, active researchers, and requested presenters on pressing industry topics. The Wine Business Institute operates within Sonoma State's School of Business and Economics, a fully accredited AACSB institution.