California Wine Tour
“We know first-hand the value of learning from experience,” Bill Lapp said. “Our desire is to give students pursuing careers in wine and viticulture the opportunity to practice their passion to the utmost ability and become connected with the community that awaits them.”— Bill Lapp
Wine and Viticulture Students Hit the Road and Explore Local Wineries
More than a dozen students visited three different wine regions in California, learning more about the full spectrum of the wine industry from production to viticulture practices and wastewater management to lab analysis.
The California Wine Tour, offered in March during Cal Poly’s spring break, was sponsored by donors Julie and Bill Lapp, owners of Rotta Winery and Hollyhock Vineyard in Templeton. The Lapps are avid supporters of out of the classroom experiences for students.
“We know first-hand the value of learning from experience,” Bill Lapp said. “Our desire is to give students pursuing careers in wine and viticulture the opportunity to practice their passion to the utmost ability and become connected with the community that awaits them.”
The weeklong excursion toured more than a dozen wineries, vineyards and a lab spanning from Lodi to Paso Robles. “The goal was to give students an overview of the industry through visits of operations with a specific focus on applied concepts such as bulk wine, logistics, exports, lab analysis, organic production, wine making, fortified winemaking, and marketing,” said Benoît Lecat, head of Cal Poly’s Wine and Viticulture Department.
"The wine industry is built not only on wine but the people behind the scenes,” said Camilla McFall, a third-year wine and viticulture major, concentrating in wine business. “This trip allowed me to meet so many wonderful people in the industry and get experience not only talking to them in a business format but also as a future peer. Not only were the wineries eager to invite us, but they were also willing to have genuine conversations and get to know us as students but also people who could potentially work together in the future.”
Each stop included direct engagement with industry partners and students at both large operations and smaller ones, on topics such as white wine production at J. Lohr Vineyards and Wines, logistics and automation at E.&J. Gallo and marketing at Michael David Winery.
“The trip was a great way to visit our industry partners and connect our students directly with them,” said Lecat. “Students met with key leaders in the industry, not only learning from them but making valuable connections for future internships and career opportunities.”
The department has led a European Wine Tour in the past, but COVID-19 restrictions has prevented a similar trip for the past few years. This is the first year a California winery tour was offered, but Lecat hopes to continue it into the future, visiting additional wine regions such as Santa Barbara, Napa and Sonoma.
Visit Cultivate Summer 2022 to read more stories.