Cornell to Build Student Winery

The word that Ivy League Cornell University plans to have a student winery up and running in the fall almost makes me want to head back to school.

Cornell University says the 2,400 square foot winery on the Ithaca campus will teach students each step in the winemaking process, from selecting grapes to bottling. The school currently has 40 students majoring in oenology and viticulture.

Cornell says that New York's growing wine industry needs more formally trained winemakers. There are now more than 200 wineries in New York. The school expects this winemaking facility will be replaced in about a decade by a larger winery to keep up with interest in the program.

The teaching winery will allow students to work with small 25 gallon test batches as they learn about various aspects of winery operations.