Major Bottling Event For Enology Program
It is wine time here at Fresno State!
Over 3,200 wines are now packaged and ready for shipment after the enology program’s first bottling of the year. Fresno State viticulture and enology students worked hard in the heat sealing, packaging and wrapping up their wines after the season’s harvest.
Students work year round researching, tending to the vineyards and even using their creative side to design the labels.
“The program is just super amazing. I love it so much,” said Sedona Howell, a senior in the enology program. “It is a lot of science as well. That is something that people do not realize. It is a perfect combination of science, agriculture and art, actually.”
Howell said she chose to attend Fresno State over other schools she was accepted into, such as UC Davis, because of the hands-on experience that students get working in the vineyards on campus.
“We had the first winery on a university campus in the country, and we are by far the largest,” said Fresno State winemaker Tom Montgomery. “We do about 3,000 to 5,000 a year.”
Fresno State has been legendary for its wide-stretched vineyards on campus and for producing wines from grapes grown in Fresno State soil.
Not to mention the countless awards and recognitions Fresno State wines have earned. Most recently, students won the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, which is the largest in California. There were over five thousand entries, and Fresno State brought home the gold.
You can purchase Fresno State wines at places like local restaurants, Trader Joe’s, The Market, local grocery stores, and the Gibson Farm Market. Make sure you have your I.D. to prove you are 21, of course, and you can support Fresno State.
“My personal favorite is a Marsanne,” said Karina Garcia, a senior in the enology program. “It is really good. I love it. It is really, really unique, and our Rose is really popular as well. A lot of people enjoy drinking some rose especially now that it is hot.”
The enology students created a special California red wine for this season’s graduates that is completely student made. It is The Class of 2023 Graduate’s Reserve. The wine is up for presale right now and will be available for pickup at the winery or can be delivered to your door between the eighth-twelfth of this month.
You can head to the Fresno State winery’s website to pre-order or find more information on events at FresnoStateWinery.com.