Vineyard produces record 33.27 tons of grapes compared to 25.83 tons last year

Volunteers picking grapes in Verde Campus vineyard in 2020

Thanks to the volunteers and Friends of the Southwest Wine Center, the Yavapai Community College vineyard on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale picked a record 33.27 tons of grapes in 2020.  According to the College note about the harvest, this compares to  25.83 tons of grapes picked in 2019.

The Community College has created a special video of the 2020 harvest that features its volunteers.  You may view the video, which is located on YouTube, by clicking here.

May yield close to 35 tons this year; reaped 27 tons in 2019

The grape harvest on the Verde Campus of Yavapai Community College  has continued since August 3 when volunteers and staff collected three tons of grapes in about four hours of picking. Grapes have been picked since then when ripe on a variety of days.

In an interview with Verde Independent newspaper reporter  Vyto Starinskas that appeared in the August 16 edition of the paper, Viticulture and Enology Program Director Michael Pierce said that “we were planning for about 28 tons but I bet we end up closer to 35 tons.”

Grapes apparently like the hot dry weather that the vineyard has been experiencing this year.

The vineyard produced  24.8 tons of grapes in 2018 and about 27 tons in 2019.   It appears that 2020 will be a record year.

About three tons of Viognier grapes whose vines were planted in 2012 harvested

The Friends of the Southwest Wine Center were among those who helped  harvest over three tons of Viognier grapes growing  in  the Community College vineyard on the Verde Campus.  The vines producing these  grapes were planted in 2012.

The vineyard is currently planted with different varieties of grape vines on about 12.95 acres of land.

The vineyard  began in 2009 when Merkin Vineyards planted an  entire acre in Negroamaro, a variety native to southern Italy whose name means ‘black bitter. With the success of this planting, Yavapai Community College began effort to develop a vineyard of its own. Finally,  in 2012 it began its own vineyard with volunteers planting three  acres of vines which included Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Viognier varietals.

The vineyard continued to expand each year until May 2017 when a final acre was planted.  Although there are more than 60 acres of land available to the College to expand the vineyard, it has apparently decided that 12.95 acres is all it can handle.

Pictured below at the table from left to right are Joan Meyers (FoSWC and YCF board member), Lisa Rhodes (YC Human Resources employee), and Suzanne Reed (FoSWC volunteer).  Photo from Yavapai Community College August newsletter.

Event to run from noon to 5 p.m.

The Southwest Wine Center on the Verde Campus in Clarkdale will hold a curbside wine pick-up event on Saturday, May 9 from noon to 5 p.m.  The Center will offer a variety of wines for curbside pick-up. Here are a few.

2018 Sunburst: 100% Grenache – $24

2019 Piquepoul Blanc – $24

2019 Joy – blend of Malvasia B + Piquepoul Blanc -$25

2018 Hopper – 100% Barbera – $28

2018 Delta – 90% Sangiovese + 10% Refosco – $24. 

Tasting room closed; but orders of wine can be shipped throughout state of Arizona  

The Yavapai Community College Southwest Wine Center tasting room is closed.  However, the Center can send wine from its facility on the Verde Campus to customers anywhere in Arizona.  Posted below is the information the Wine Center has provided regarding the availability of its wine.

Award made at azcentral Arizona Wine Competition November  15 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Phoenix

Yavapai College’s Southwest Wine Center, won the Best In Show for its  2018 Viogner wine at the azcentral Arizona Wine Competition on November 15 at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Phoenix. The award made it the top wine in the statewide competition. The white wine is made from grapes grown on the Verde Valley Campus  and processed in the on-campus winery. 

Michael Pierce, the  director of enology at thet Wine Center, told Arizona Republic reporter Richard Ruelas that the award was unexpected. However,  he said the quality of the student-made wine should not be a surprise.

“There’s no excuse not to make a good product with how much energy the students bring,” he said Friday night, moments after the announcement. “We’ve got a nice (vineyard) site. We’ve got nice facilities. You’ve just got to put those together and support one another and you’ll get a good product.”

The  Center won the Growers Cup for Best Rosé in the 2017 contest and has received other medals for its wines in previous years. It received a number of medals for its various wines.  For example, in January 2019 it received a double gold medal for its Patada 2017 wine, a silver medal for its Malvasika Bianca 2017 wine, and a bronze medal for its Graciano 2017 and Red Storm 2017 wine.

Source for November award:  Reporter Richard Ruelas article, Arizona Republic, November 22, 2019.

Recognizes Center as leader in adopting environmentally sustainable practices for a better Arizona

The Yavapai Community College Southwest Wine Center on the Verde Valley Campus received an Award of Distinction at the Arizona Forward 39th Annual Environmental Excellence Awards Gala on September 21.  The award recognized the Center as a leader in adopting environmentally sustainable practices for a better Arizona.

The Center won in the Governor’s Award for Arizona’s Future category, specific to programs that nurture “Arizona’s future through creative initiatives, public policies and/or collaborative efforts that enhance the state’s environmental quality, economic vitality and sustainability.”

The Director of the of the Viticulture and Enology programs at the Southwest Wine Center, Michael Pierce, director, accepted the award on behalf of Yavapai College. He commented that :

“We are proud to be acknowledged as a leader in environmentally sustainable practices in Arizona. Although our primary goal is to teach students the skills and knowledge they need to be a success in the wine industry, we also stress the importance of cultivating a climate-appropriate agricultural crop using sustainable water conservation practices.”

Sources:  Verde Independent, Sunday, September 29, 2019, p. 1;  Signals.com (click here for the full story).

Harvesting 2 acres of Viognier grapes begins at 5:30 a.m. at the Community College Vineyard; everyone welcome, no experience needed

Some of the grapes are ready for harvest on the Yavapai Community College Campus vineyard in Clarkdale–about two acres will be picked.  The Community College is located at 601 W Black Hills Dr, Clarkdale, AZ 86324. Volunteers will begin harvesting these grapes this Saturday, August 3 around 5:30 a.m.  Any help will be appreciated.

Volunteers should bring a hat, gloves, pruners (the College has some if you don’t).   You will be helping the College’s Southwest Winery in making hand crafted wine and the experience will be enjoyable.

Volunteers should go to the Upper Vineyard, which is located at the “end” of Black Hills Drive. Volunteers should drive past the two Community College entrances and follow Black Hills  Drive up to the Upper Vineyards (about 2 acres of Viognier are ready).  The remaining acreage will be harvested as grapes become ripe over the next month and a half. You will see two  large water tanks and a shed.  Please park in this area and a member of staff will be there rounding up volunteers to help with harvest.