Believe it or not, there are grapes grown in the U.S. that aren't on the West Coast. One of the better areas outside the West Coast is the Finger Lakes area in upstate New York. Beautiful area to visit during any of the non-winter months. And last we tasted, some pretty good wines from the area.

One of the highlights in that area is Cornell University. This summer Cornell has a week-long class on grape growing and wine making, which includes classroom work, hands on work in the vineyards and winery, and visits to local Finger Lakes vineyards and wineries. The class is from July 20-25. Go to http://www.sce.cornell.edu/cuvee for more information.

Cornell is doing the winemaking class again this summer. Here's the info from the Cornell program:

Cornell Invites Wine Enthusiasts to Attend CUVEE:
A Hands-on Summer Program in Viticulture and Enology

Cornell University invites wine enthusiasts to the beautiful Finger Lakes region this summer for an exciting week-long program exploring the science of grape growing and wine making (http://www.sce.cornell.edu/cuvee).

The Cornell University Viticulture and Enology Experience (CUVEE), August 2-7, 2009, pairs respected Cornell faculty members with leading wine professionals to help participants increase their wine appreciation and knowledge.

Together, with area wineries as their classroom, participants will:
learn about the key agricultural practices of growing grapes,
study the scientific principles behind viticulture and enology,
gain hands-on practice working vines and making wine,
consider the business aspects of investing in a vineyard or winery,
enjoy field trips to vibrant Finger Lakes vineyards,
obtain an insider's view of the grape-growing and wine-making business, and
become acquainted with wine industry professionals.
They'll also have an opportunity to evaluate and savor wines during specially designed tastings.

CUVEE is designed for:
wine enthusiasts,
individuals interested in growing grapes to produce wine for pleasure or for commercial purposes,
anyone contemplating purchasing, investing in, or opening a winery,
wine merchants,
restaurateurs, chefs, and sommeliers; and
anyone with a keen interest in understanding the "nuts and bolts" of growing grapes and making wine.
"This program changed what was a general interest in the subject to a complete fascination," commented participant Sheila Sarin after last year's program. "It has made me want to seriously pursue viticulture and/or enology in the future, be it in research or in the field.... Thank you so much for making learning a ton of stuff in a short period of time so enjoyable."

Interested participants are encouraged to register early as enrollment is limited.

For more information and to register, call 607.255.7259, e-mail cusp@cornell.edu, or visit http://www.sce.cornell.edu/cuvee.