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Breaking Ground in Geneva, N.Y. Community college to build teaching winery G eneva, N.Y.—As the wine industry in New York state has expanded rapidly during the past 25 years, so has the need for skilled workers in the grape and wine business. On Oct. 24, the Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) broke ground and began a year-long project to build the FLCC Viticulture Center at the Cornell Agriculture and Food Technology Park (a.k.a. "the Tech Farm") adjacent to Cornell's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva. The new 8,900-square-foot center winesandvines.com will include a teaching winery, an enology Learn more: Search keywords laboratory, a crush pad, rooms for storing and "FLCC teaching winery." aging wine, classroom and office space as well as a teaching vineyard. Students in the college's wine technology and viticulture program will use the new facility. The project is estimated to cost $3.65 million, with $3.25 million coming from the state Department of Agriculture and Markets and the balance from the FLCC Foundation and State University of New York system. State Sen. Michael Nozzolio and Assembly minority leader Brian Kolb of Canandaigua, N.Y., helped secure state Waterloo_Nov10.qxp 8/26/10 11:36 AM Page 1 funding to cover the majority of the cost. The center will include a teaching winery, enology lab, crush pad, room for storing and aging wine, classroom space and a teaching vineyard. The FLCC winery will provide practical experience for students in the college's certified two-year program, which leads to an applied science associate's degree in viticulture and wine technology. The FLCC program is designed to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to work for vineyards and wineries in the Finger Lakes region. Students who successfully meet the requirements of the program have the option of transferring to Cornell University's viticulture and enology program in Ithaca, N.Y., or seeking employment in the wine industry. When the program started in September 2009, there were 25 students who took the first class, "Introduction to Wines and Vines." According to Paul Brock, assistant professor of viticulture at FLCC, this fall he has 30 first-year and 19 second-year students. "FLCC is drawing nontraditional students who range from their mid-20s to mid-40s, and most of them are looking at second careers," Brock told Wine East. "There are actually more positions than I have students to fill." —Linda Jones McKee Win es & Vin es D EC EM b er 20 13 71