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The History of Our Success In July 2000, California State University, Fresno became the first university in the CSU system to combine its research and academic program offerings in viticulture and enology. This combination of research services and academic offerings is under the direction of one leader - the Department Chair and Director of Research. This change was a result of input from our Industry Advisory Board, and the grape and wine industry. After an international search, Dr. Robert L. Wample held the first joint position at the Department of Viticulture and Enology (DVE) and the Viticulture and Enology Research Center (VERC) where he served as the Department Chair and Director, respectively, from 2000 until 2009. Upon Wample’s retirement, Dr. James Kennedy was selected to fill the position in 2010. The Department of Viticulture and Enology was officially established in 2000 and began to offer undergraduate degrees in viticulture or enology. Prior to this time, Fresno State's viticulture curriculum (est. 1948) was offered through the Plant Science Department, and its enology curriculum (est. 1956) was offered through the Enology, Food Science and Nutrition Department. By 2003, the university approved a master’s degree in viticulture and enology within the newly created Department of Viticulture and Enology. The graduate program offers advanced training and research opportunities through the Viticulture and Enology Research Center. The Viticulture and Enology Research Center was officially established in 1984 through the California Agricultural Technology Institute on campus. This Center is recognized as an applied research and education center for the grape and wine industries. Through applied research and partnerships with the industry, faculty and research scientists address real world problems that have the potential for improving quality, as well as increasing the profitability of the grower or winemaker. Many of the department’s faculty have been recognized for their excellence in research and teaching by both the university and industry. The combination of research and education programs that Fresno State offers has strengthened the university’s ability to produce quality students who are well prepared to enter the grape and wine industry. Each year, over 150 viticulture and enology students take advantage of the extraordinary opportunities that this one-of-a-kind program offers. Fresno State graduates are found in leading grape and wine positions around the nation and world. The university recently honored enology and viticulture graduates Hal Huffsmith (2010), Ed Sbragia and Bob Steinhauer (2006) as the Jordan College of Agricultural Sciences and Technology’s “Top Dogs.” There is no other institution quite like Fresno State. Recognized world wide for its unique facilities and strong academic and research programs, Fresno State is the center for excellence for undergraduate and graduate training in viticulture and enology.
