Wine and Viticulture


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Vines to Wines

Unified Wine & Grape Symposium

A Road Trip to Sacramento


Students Cassie Derdivanis, Myles Adams, and Marina Tacconi
posing with Department Head, Benoît Lecat and Faculty
Advisor Lecturer Shohreh Niku, in front of the Cal Poly booth.


Armando Vega-Osorno pours research wines for
alumni at the Alumni Reception.


Students John Lawson, Cole Meusel, and Allie Donegan
greet alumni outside of the Vines Cafe.
 


Students meeting industry professionals while representing
Cal Poly at the booth on the tradeshow floor.


Students Scarlett Hartmann and Melissa Mannon drinking
student-made wines while networking with Cal Poly alumni.

In February 2020 many Cal Poly senior wine and viticulture (WVIT) students took a short break from winter quarter classes to attend the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium in Sacramento. 

Attendees from all over visit unique booths representing wine-affiliated companies, schools and publishers. 

“Our students were able to build a booth and display our new upcoming JUSTIN and J. LOHR Center for Wine and Viticulture,” said Faculty Advisor Shohreh Niku. “While making meaningful connections with the professionals in the wine industry, they were also able to bond and get to know each other, as well as their professors, better.”

Highlights of the 2020 symposium included a successful Cal Poly Alumni Reception, at which numerous alumni now working in a wide range of wine industry sectors mingled and socialized with their former professors and students while tasting student-made wines as well as wines made for research purposes.

Students also participated in the UC Davis-Fresno State Mixer, allowing them to meet and make friends with wine and viticulture majors from other schools.  

“The entire symposium was very eventful; it allowed great networking for the students, and I’m sure they left with memories they will keep forever,” said Department Head Benoît Lecat. 

Students who participated included Myles Adams, Courtney Colerick, Emily Cross, Cassie Derdivanis, Allison Donegan, Scarlett Hartmann, John Lawson, Isabelle LoMonaco, Melissa Mannon, Vegas Riffle, Marina Tacconi, Graham Walker and Armando Vega-Osorno.

 

Visit Vines to Wines Fall 2020 to read more stories.

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