Winery History
In 1997, the California State University, Fresno became the first University in
the United States to have a winery fully licensed to produce, bottle and sell wine.
The first commercial wine that was bottled and sold was a white table wine named for professor emeritus, Dr. Vincent Petrucci.
We’ve come a long way since 1997 and the single varietal we produced. Currently, we process anywhere from 18-22 different varietals per harvest. These lots then go into12-16 different wines that will be bottled and sold under one of our three label classifications: TailGate, Winemaker, and Reserve.
The student-winemakers of the Fresno State Winery prove year in and year out that
our wines are superior in quality by winning numerous medals. In fact, the
student-winemakers of the Fresno State Winery, under the instruction and supervision
of our world-class faculty and winemaker, have won over 200 medals in 10 years
including 40+ “Super” awards such as Best of Class, Best of Region,
and Best of Show. These awards in addition to our 100% graduate employment rating
have brought unparalleled notoriety to Fresno State and the San Joaquin Valley.