The annual West Coast College & University Wine Festival showcases student-crafted wines from colleges and universities across the West Coast, including selections crafted through Allan Hancock College’s Viticulture and Enology program. Photo courtesy of Allan Hancock College.
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SANTA MARIA — When Allan Hancock College Winery operations specialist Grace Wearda arrived at the college just days before its West Coast College & University Wine Festival last year, she had little time to experience the planning behind one of the college’s signature events. This year, she led months of planning for the fourth annual festival, coordinating everything from participating wineries and vendors to volunteers and event logistics.
Held June 13 on the Santa Maria campus, The West Coast College & University Wine Festival brought together college and university winemaking programs from across the region alongside local wineries, food vendors and community partners. The festival gives students an opportunity to showcase wines they’ve helped produce, receive professional feedback and connect with industry professionals while introducing the public to collegiate winemaking.
For Wearda, success started long before the first guests arrived. She and Alfredo Koch, head of Hancock’s viticulture and enology department, worked alongside volunteers, facilities staff, vendors and community partners for months to prepare for the festival.
“We put a lot of emphasis on being as ready as possible before the actual day,” Wearda said. “We did a lot of organization and got everything prepped well ahead of time so that the festival day could go as smooth as possible. The biggest reward was hearing really nothing but great things. People were pleasantly surprised by what the college wineries on the west coast can produce. We just hope to continue to grow it every year.”
While guests experienced the festival over the course of a few hours, its impact reaches beyond the event itself. Students spend months producing the wines they’ll eventually pour for guests, making the festival a celebration of the work and educational programs behind it.
“They’ve done every step of the way,” Wearda said. “For students to see the reception from people that think they made a really great product, and then being able to try other colleges and see that they compare and are on par with local wineries, it’s fun for them to see their efforts come to fruition.”
Wearda also came away impressed by the enthusiasm surrounding the festival.
“One of the biggest surprises was the amount of community support. I received a lot of emails from people who wanted to participate.” Wearda said. “People have such a positive view of the festival that they want to participate without us reaching out, which is awesome.”
As planning begins for next year’s festival, Wearda hopes to continue welcoming more collegiate winery programs while expanding awareness of Hancock’s viticulture and enology program.
“We really just want to keep bringing more colleges and universities on board to keep expanding the festival,” Wearda said. “There’s nothing really that showcases college and university winemaking programs, so it’s fun to come to something that’s really focuses on that.”
For more information on Hancock’s Viticulture and Enology program, visit https://www.hancockcollege.edu/winery/