YATES COUNTY—Winemaking and education have merged into a new area program that puts the students into the vineyard. While there are still some casual winemakers and winery workers, specialized knowledge and vineyard skills have more value in an increasingly competitive market. So officials at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) consulted with vineyard owners and winemakers as well as representatives from Cornell University and Cooperative Extension when they constructed their Viticulture and Wine Technology associate degree program several years ago. The answers – and the students they got - were sometimes surprising. “It’s a healthy mix of science and practical skills,” says Lenore Friend of FLCC. “For example, students need to know Spanish to talk to the seasonal workers who may be involved. They need to be comfortable driving a tractor and need to know the rules about applying pesticides, to be able to do this themselves and supervise others. This is in addition to the chemistry involved in winemaking.” The two-year program began in 2009 with a handful of students; the program has grown and there will about 40 students entering this coming year, plus two “generations” of graduates. Many in this last group are currently working in the wine industry; some are going on for more education. “Some people just want to take certain classes to acquire particular skills, others want to finish the two-year degree and work immediately,” Friend says. “The program was designed to transfer seamlessly to the viticulture and technology program at Cornell with no loss of credits.” For FLCC, this is not the first collaborative course of study; they previously created a degree in instrumentation and control technology for working in advanced manufacturing, constructed with input from Optimax in Rochester and Gould Pumps in Seneca Falls. “We modeled our program around the needs of employers who told us what they needed employees to do,” Friend says. But not all the students in the wine program came to them straight out of high school. “Most are adult students – by which we mean students older than 24,” Friend says. “We have students from 18 to adults in their 50s. Some are retirees who are starting a new career. Professors say that is generally a very good mix.” Ann Martini, owner of Anthony Road Wine Company in Torrey, says they’ve enjoyed working with interns who came to their farm for the hands-on experience which is an integral part of the program. “Several other wineries have interns from the program and they’re very pleased with how it’s working, both in the wineries and the vineyards,” she says. “We have a man working with us who graduated last year. While he was taking classes, he worked in our vineyards and now he’s full time. He left a banking career, changed his lifestyle and he’s very pleased that he’s done it all.” Themselves pleased with the program, the Martinis offered 2 1⁄2 acres for FLCC to use as a demonstration vineyard. This spring students assisted a professional crew in planting 14 varieties of grapes, including several new ones developed by Cornell oenologists. The young vines currently protected by “grow tubes,” are being lovingly cared-for by FLCC students, Martini says. “So far it looks lovely,” Martini says of the new vineyard, which also boasts an irrigation system the young grapes must have appreciated this summer. “ This is kind of an experimental situation for them. They’re seeing what will grow and they’ll make wine from the varieties, experimenting with the flavor components.” The students create limited-edition wines labeled “Higher Taste.” And in another instance of collaboration, the wine labels were created by FLCC’s graphic design students. “It required viticulture students to sit down with graphic artists and talk about ideas, enabling students from different programs to combine their skills,” Friend says. Plans are being developed to grow the program into its own campus in Geneva, with a dedicated building for classes and wine technology equipment. The hands-on experience is most important, Martini says. Experiencing agriculture first-hand imbues a work ethic different from the 9-5 jobs many might have previously known. “You have to be flexible and patient,” she says. “Because it’s agriculture and things don’t stop.” What’s required of students entering the program is interest, Friend says. “It’s obviously a very specialized course of study. And you need a willingness to work hard. The science is not theoretical, it is related to exactly what happens, so it should be more accessible than a theoretical science class. But there’s also academic support for those who need assistance with science or math.” Find more information online at http://www.flcc.edu/academics/viticulture/index.cfm.
