Fresno State Winemaster Kenneth Fugelsang will present a special pairing session at Whole Foods Market in Fresno on Friday, May 23 from 4 to 7 p.m.

He will demonstrate uses of wine with food that can be used for Memorial Day culinary dishes, autograph award-winning Fresno State wine bottles and display gold medals won by Fresno State student-produced wines in recent competitions.

The event, which will be in the Salud Cooking Classroom at the southwest end of the store near the bakery, will include a wine pouring and tasting. It is free and open to the public.

The event is a part of a series of public educational events undertaken by the Viticulture and Enology Research Department and the Viticulture and Enology Research Center at Fresno State including the Fresno State Winemaster’s Weekend held in March at Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite.

In two weeks, Fresno State’s wines will be featured at the “A Celebration of Wine” event sponsored by the enology and viticulture alumni chapters.

Billed as Central California’s largest and most prestigious wine event, “A Celebration of Wine” will be Sunday, June 1, from 3 to 6 p.m. at Dennes Coombs’ Riverbend Ranch near Madera.

Information and tickets for the event will be available at Friday’s Whole Foods event.

The wine program has also gained widespread media attention with its award winning wines, including a recent interview by the Los Angeles Times for an article expected to be published this month.

Earlier this year, the student-produced wines won top awards at the Jerry Mead International Wine Competition and the Riverside International Wine Competition.

Fresno State is the only university in the nation with a facility licensed to operate as a “commercial’ winery as part of its overall educational program. Operated independent of the university by the Agricultural Foundation, the state received its license in 1998 and now also sells its products in local retail outlets. All proceeds from the market benefit the College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology programs.

Whole Foods Market is in Fig Garden Village at 650 W. Shaw Avenue on the northeast corner of Palm.

More information:

Contact 55.9278.2089 or 559.241.0300 or visit www.fresnostatewinery.com.