9/19/2005

New Four Year Degree Program in Winemaking

Cornell University in New York Offers Four Year Degree in Winemaking

The horticulturists at Cornell have been doing grape growing research since the crush vehicles were wagons. In fact, they have created a wealth of juice varieties, table grape hybrids and wine grapes since 1906. They have also noticed the rapid increase in the number of family wineries being established in Oklahoma and all over the country.

Nationally, about 37-hundred wineries, many of them small family-owned operations, fuel a wine industry that brings in 23 billion dollars annually. (Associated Press Story)

The result of this rapid industry growth has been a shortage of qualified people to manage vineyards and wineries. This has led to Cornell University to starting the new four-year undergraduate majors in viticulture and enology. It is the first grape growing and winemaking program of its kind east of the West Coast.

New York is opening their wine markets for consumers and winemakers alike, while investing in their state's educational infrastructure. The plan is to make New York's wine tourism industry continue to be an engine of economic growth and improved real estate values for its citizens.

I have to wonder what the leaders of Oklahoma plan to do to benefit from this rapid industry growth?

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