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 Fresno State Winery, which
won Best of Class for its 2006 San Joaquin County Pinot Gris. from
Duarte Vineyards at the California State Fair recently, will present the
award along with 31 others won this year during a special
end-of-competition presentation on campus today (Sept. 6).
The 15-minute presentation, at 3 p.m. in the winery (2360 E. Barstow
Ave.), will acknowledge the university’s viticulture and enology
programs and showcase the nine Fresno State wines that won awards this
year.
Fresno State viticulture and
enology students and winemaster Kenneth Fugelsang will formally present
awards received this year to Dr. Jeri Echeverria, provost and vice
president for Academic Affairs.
The Fresno State Winery
netted 32 prizes at eight competitions. The awards will be placed in the
winery awards gallery at the College of Agriculture and Science
Technology.
The presentation also will commemorate the end of the current harvest
and crush at Fresno State. Enology students will begin to produce wine
immediately following the presentation.
Including the State Fair winner, the top awards earned by the Fresno
State Winery this year are:
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Best of Class -- 2006 San
Joaquin County Pinot Gris, Duarte Vineyards; awarded at the
California State Fair in July
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Double-Gold Medal -- 2003
Solaré ice-style dessert wine; awarded at the 2007 San Francisco
Chronicle Wine Competition in February
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Double-Gold Medal -- 2004
Fresno County Syrah, Saviez Vineyards; awarded at the 2007 Florida
State Fair Wine Competition in March
-
Gold Medal - 2004 Fresno
County Syrah, Saviez Vineyards; awarded at the 2007 Florida State
Fair Wine Competition in March
-
Gold Medal - 2003 Petite
Sirah, Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards; awarded at the 2007 San Diego
Wine Competition in May
-
Gold Medal - 2003 Petite
Sirah, Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards; awarded at the 2007 Central
Valley Wine Competition in June
Rounding out the awards are
14 silvers and four bronzes.
Since 1997, when it became the first and only university winery in the
nation to obtain a commercial bond allowing it to bottle, label and
market its own wines, the Fresno State Winery enters five to 10
internationally acclaimed wine competitions each year.
“Our participation in these prestigious events – competing against some
of the world’s best commercial winemakers – not only showcases the
world-class education that students in the university’s viticulture and
enology program are receiving, but also demonstrates that the San
Joaquin Valley region produces some of the best wine in California,”
said Dr. Robert Wample, chair of the Viticulture and Enology Department
and director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center, both at
Fresno State.
Fugelsang said that the Fresno State Winery has come a long way in 10
years.
“In the late ’90s, we were only producing one or two wines per vintage
year,” Fugelsang said. “Today we are producing 18 to 20 different wines
per vintage year, giving our students as large a look at the hands-on
winemaking process as we possibly can.”
The crop that the winery is currently crushing is the 10th anniversary
vintage that will be ready for bottling in two years. A special
10th-anniversary event is planned in October to commemorate that
milestone.
“We’re all very excited about the acclaim that we received this year,”
said winemaker John Giannini. “It proves yet again that our students are
getting the best education out there and that they are working with some
of the best fruit in California.”
Fresno State wines are available for purchase in the Farm Market,
located on the corner of Chestnut and Barstow. Proceeds benefit
agriculture programs at Fresno State. For Farm Market hours, call
559.278.4511.
For a complete list of all the award-winning wines produced by the
Fresno State Winery and the competitions in which they have earned
medals, visit
www.FresnoStateWinery.com.
Winners in 2006-07 were:
2007 Florida State Fair Wine Comp
Double Gold Medal - 2004 Fresno County Syrah-Saviez Vineyards
Gold Medal - 2003 Petite Sirah-Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2005 San Joaquin County Viognier-Duarte Linden Hills
Vineyards
Bronze Medal - 2004 Eclipse²
Silver Medal - 2005 Barbera-Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards
2007 Orange County Fair Wine Comp
Gold Medal - 2004 Fresno County Syrah-Saviez Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2006 San Joaquin County Pinot Gris-Duarte Linden Hills
Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2004 Tempranillo-California
Silver Medal - 2003 Petite Sirah-Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards
Bronze Medal - 2004 Eclipse²
Bronze Medal - 2005 San Joaquin County Viognier-Duarte Linden Hills
Vineyards
2007 San Diego Wine Comp
Gold Medal - 2003 Petite Sirah-Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2004 Fresno County Syrah-Saviez Vineyards
Bronze Medal - 2006 San Joaquin County Pinot Gris-Duarte Linden Hills
Vineyards
2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Comp
Double Gold Medal - 2003 Solare-California
Silver Medal - 2002 Primitivo-Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2004 Fresno County Syrah-Saviez Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2004 Tempranillo-California
Silver Medal - 2005 Barbera-Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards
Bronze Medal - 2004 Syrah-California
2007 Central Valley Wine Comp
Gold Medal - 2003 Petite Sirah-Duarte Linden Hills Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2004 Fresno County Syrah-Saviez Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2004 Tempranillo-California
2007 New World International Wine Competition
Silver Medal - 2004 Fresno County Syrah-Saviez Vineyards
Silver Medal - 2004 Tempranillo-California
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