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Contact: Tom Uribes

May 6, 2003

(559) 278-5366 or 250-8459

NOTE:   The award-winning Fresno State wines will be featured at Whole Foods Market in Fresno twice this month. At the first event, this Saturday, May 10 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Winemaster Kenneth Fugelsang will be available to answer questions and autograph wine bottles for the community. Later this month, Fugelsang and his students will display their medals and conduct a pouring. See FresnoStateNews.com for details and updates.=

Fresno State Enology Wins More International Wine Awards at Riverside 

Student-produced wines at California State University, Fresno again won top honors in international judging with a gold medal for its 2001 Barbera at the Riverside International Wine Competition held May 3 and 4 in Riverside.

Earlier this year, Fresno State — the only university in the nation with a facility licensed to operate as a bonded, commercial winery as part of its overall education program — won a school-record 13 awards at the Jerry Mead 2003 New World International Wine Competition, including three gold medals and three best of class.

“The growing number of awards that we are winning each year shows the continuing growth and development of this program,” said Fresno State winemaster and enology professor Kenneth Fugelsang.

 “This increased exposure is part of our plan to grow the reputation of Fresno State and the Central Valley as a winemaking region.”

The Riverside gold medal-winning 2001 California Barbera was produced from grapes grown by Duarte Nursery’s Linden Hills Ranch near Stockton in San Joaquin County, north of Fresno.  At the 2003 Jerry Mead competition, the Barbera 2001 won a Gold Medal, Best of Class and Best Varietal.

Fresno State’s other winning wines at the Riverside competition are the 2000 Barbera (Silver); the 2001 Merlot (Bronze); the 2001 Viognier (Bronze); and the 1999 Syrah 13.75% (Bronze).

The Riverside event featured 42 judges evaluating 2,572 wines from 508 wineries, recognizing 55% of the entries for a total of 1,417 awards.

 “The Riverside International Wine Competition exists to encourage the development of all wines made worldwide by recognizing wines of excellence,” according to information at its web site. “The wines entered must be available to the public at the time of judging.”

Fugelsang and his enology students now have their sights set on the upcoming Los Angeles and Orange Counties wine competitions in June followed by the California State Fair judging this summer.

At Fresno State, viticulture and enology students have had the opportunity to study the art and sciences of grape-growing and wine-making for more than 40 years with some of the most well-respected professors in viticulture and enology.

Operated as part of the Agricultural Foundation, the winery received its license in 1998 and now sells its award-winning wines at the Farm Market on campus and in retail stores throughout Fresno and the outlying towns as well as online.

One retail outlet, Whole Foods Market in Fresno’s Fig Garden Village, will honor the university program twice this month. On Saturday, May 10, Fugelsang will be present to autograph bottles for the public and answer questions. On Memorial Day weekend, he will bring a display of the medals and conduct a pouring and tasting session.

Proceeds from the sale of the wines support the education of Viticulture and Enology students at Fresno State.

The program is also gearing up for its alumni event of the year on June 1, “A Celebration of Wine” -- Central California's largest and most prestigious wine event of its kind.  It will be from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Dennes Coombs' Riverbend Ranch in Madera featuring wine tasting from more than 100 prestigious western wineries and food sampling from more than 40 Central California restaurants.

For more information about where to buy Fresno State wines, visit www.fresnostatewinery.com. 

For more information about the winery or the viticulture and enology academic and research programs, contact Robert Wample, department chair and director, at 559 278-2089 or visit http://cast.csufresno.edu/ve or http://cati.csufresno.edu/verc.

For more information about Riverside International Wine Competition, contact Sharron Kirktonnell at winegem99@hotmail.com or chairman Dan Berger at danberger@rocketmail.com.

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