To kick off California Wine Month, the Fresno State Winery announced today that student-produced wines won a record 49 medals during the 2008-09 academic year at competitions throughout the country and, for the first time, outside the U.S.

A free tasting of award-winning wines will be held 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market on campus to celebrate the accomplishment, which includes two platinum, two double gold and three gold medals.

As tailgaters rev up for the first Bulldogs’ home football home game Saturday, Sept. 5, the Fresno State Winery will release new vintages of some of its most popular wine, including 2008 San Joaquin County Chardonnay and 2007 San Joaquin County Merlot. 

As part of the Wine Month observance, weekly specials will be offered in the student-operated Gibson Farm Market throughout September. Free monthly wine tastings will be held during the school year to give customers a chance to sample before purchase.

Fresno State’s newest award-winners – 13 wines produced by enology students under the supervision of winemaker John Giannini – were entered into 12 competitions the past year, including the 2009 Concurso Internacional Ensenada, Tierra Del Vino in Ensenada, México where the 2006 California Syrah and the 2006 CA Tempranillo won Silver Medals. 

The top medal winners are:

• Fresno State’s 2004 San Joaquin County Petite Sirah, which won the Critics Challenge Platinum Medal and Florida State Fair Wine Competition Double Gold Medal;
   

• The 2006 Solare which won the  Florida State Fair Wine Competition Double Gold Medal and the Critics Challenge Gold Medal;
   

• The 2006 Saviez Syrah, which also won  a Critics Challenge Platinum Medal;
   

• The 2006 San Joaquin County Zinfandel, which won the West Coast Wine Competition Gold Medal; and
   

• The 2006 Tempranillo, which won a Long Beach Grand Cru Wine Competition Gold Medal. (See full list below).

Fresno State’s wines also won 18 silver and 24 bronze medals. The program has won a total of about 300 awards.

Winemaster Kenneth Fugelsang said the record honors for the Fresno State Winery “represent not only a tribute to the grape growers of the San Joaquin Valley but to the students in our program who have collaborated to produce world-class, award-winning wines.”

The enology program partners with winegrape growers throughout Central California and the awards help bring recognition to the region as a premier wine-producing region, Fugelsang said.

Fresno State Winery vintages are available for purchase at the Gibson Farm Market at Chestnut and Barstow avenues. Proceeds from student-produced food and wine benefit agriculture programs at Fresno State. Tasting and wine purchases are limited to people at least 21 years old.

For more information, call 559.278.4867 or visit www.fresnostatewinery.com. Information about the weekly specials is available at 278.4511 or www.fresnostatefarmmarket.com/.

University Communications news intern Jackie Mundt contributed to this copy.

Fresno State Wines Award Winners in 2008-09 were: