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It Takes a Valley: Yavapai College Southwest Wine Center Breaks Ground

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On a sunny Arizona morning, a group of about 75 elected officials, business owners, winemakers, community organizations, educators, students and supporters gathered to celebrate a special milestone with the ceremonial moving of the dirt to break ground on a state-of-the-art sustainable teaching winery. The November 19 groundbreaking of Yavapai College’s Southwest Wine Center follows a vision driven by many dedicated people and organizations whose belief and support turned construction into reality.

The teaching winery will serve as a hub of education, research and rural economic development to support the Southwest United States viticulture industry in achieving its potential as a significant wine-producing region.

Speakers dig the dirt at SWC Groundbreaking FEATURE

Participating in the November 19th groundbreaking ceremony for the Southwest Wine Center Teaching Winery are (from left) Yavapai College President Dr. Penny Wills, Clarkdale Mayor Doug Von Gausig, Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens, Verde Valley campus Dean James Perey, Verde Valley Wine Consortium President Tom Schumacher, Arizona Wine Growers Association President Peggy Fiandaca and FCI Constructors Vice President Joe Kelleher.

Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus Dean James Perey served as host and moderator. College President Dr. Penny Wills shared that the teaching winery will have production areas and barrel and case storage to support the commercial production of 3,000 cases of wine per year. Town of Clarkdale Mayor Doug Von Gausig emphasized the sustainable economic development engine that is created with the Southwest Wine Center building on the existing viticulture and enology educational programs, the low-water use grape crop, and the burgeoning Verde Valley wine industry.

GroundbreakingCity of Cottonwood Mayor Diane Joens stressed that it takes all of us—the community, the cooperation and the collaboration—to achieve and bring moments like the Southwest Wine Center groundbreaking to fruition. Tom Schumacher, president of the Verde Valley Wine Consortium pointed out that despite years of economic downturn, the Arizona wine industry has flourished and grown and the Center will strengthen the industry. Arizona Wine Growers Association President Peggy Fiandaca highlighted the Center’s data repository for research and data related to the agricultural value-added grape crop, the focus on individuals with entrepreneurial spirits and educating a wine industry workforce from grape to glass.

Yavapai College President Dr. Penny Wills (left) accepts a donation of $8,000 for the Southwest Wine Center from Lana Tolleson, president and CEO of the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce, at the November 19th groundbreaking ceremony on the College's Verde Valley campus.

Yavapai College President Dr. Penny Wills (left) accepts a donation of $8,000 for the Southwest Wine Center from Lana Tolleson, president and CEO of the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce, at the November 19th groundbreaking ceremony on the College’s Verde Valley campus.

The ceremony concluded with a check presentation for $8,000 from Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce to the college, representing proceeds from the recent wine barrel auction at the Taste of the Verde Valley festival.

Maynard Keenan, winemaker and long-time supporter of the viticulture and enology program, attended the groundbreaking, held adjacent to the initial block of grapevines Keenan’s Merkin Vineyards planted on the Clarkdale campus. Keenan stated, “We need to understand what it takes to get good wine grapes from the vine and understand how the local weather affects their growth. With the Southwest Wine Center, the information from vineyards will be gathered and serve as an educational tool. Arizona is a wonderful state and we must be sustainable to support our growth.”

Yavapai College Director of Viticulture and Enology Nikki Check shared, “This is the culmination of a thought process that began in 2006 to build Viticulture and Enology into the future of Yavapai College. We have enjoyed small successes along the way, but building the Southwest Wine Center gives our mission a level of substantiation that has been long desired across the community.”

FCI Constructors is building the Southwest Wine Center. Initial construction of the project was funded by a combination of ongoing private donations, partnerships and college funding. The Yavapai College Foundation is continuing to raise funds following the groundbreaking. With more than $1 million raised through a capital campaign, about $1.7 million in funding is needed to fully finalize the completion of the Center by fall 2014.

Those interested in contributing to the fulfillment of the Southwest Wine Center should contact Paul Kirchgraber at (928) 717-7773 or Linda Buchanan at (928) 634-6530.

SouthwestWineCenter.com


Photos courtesy of Bill Leyden and Yavapai College, view the rest here.

The post It Takes a Valley: Yavapai College Southwest Wine Center Breaks Ground appeared first on AZ Wine Lifestyle.


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