October 1, 2009

Student-produced Fresno State Wines have become more accessible to Central California consumers thanks to a new distribution agreement that places several medal-winning varieties in 11 Save Mart Supermarkets.

Featured Fresno State wines are:

• Tailgate Red, Tailgate White and Tailgate Rose – Red won silver medals at the 2008 San Francisco Chronicle and Florida State Fair competitions, while White was a silver medalist in the Chronicle judging.

• 2007 San Joaquin County Chardonnay – A bronze medalist at the 2009 Florida State Fair.

• 2006 California Syrah – A silver medal winner at 2009 Concurso Internacional Ensenada, Tierra Del Vino in Mexico.

The wines are produced at California State University, Fresno at the nation's first commercially-bonded winery on a university campus. Selection varies by store. All varieties sell for $5.99.

The agreement with Modesto-based Save Mart puts Fresno State wines into the region's biggest supermarket chain. The Fresno locations are Shaw/Armstrong, Cedar/Ashlan, Willow/Nees, First/Nees, Champlain/Perrin, Bullard/West and Herndon/Marks. Other stores are Herndon/Fowler in Clovis;– Goshen/Akers and Noble/Ben Maddox Way in Visalia and 11th/Grangeville in Hanford.

More than 800 cases are involved, said Jennifer Sobieralski, manager of Fresno State’s Rue and Gwen Gibson Farm Market and enterprise product marketing.

Since Fresno State wines were first bottled in 1997, distribution has grown from wine club and on-campus sales at the Gibson Farm Market to include select off-campus retailers.

"It is a great accomplishment to share our award-winning wines in retail markets off-campus,” said Sobieralski. “The support of Save Mart helps our winery’s success as part of our world-class agriculture.”