Gwynne Hogan looks at a wine education program doing something a little bit different...
Mendocino passion for wine and wine making has done the unfortunate leap of this youngest generation of consumers. Historically this dilemma can be explained by the simultaneous failure of the low quality in-bulk wine production, and the emergence of other beverages besides water like coca cola, beer and fernet. The youngest generation of drinkers consider wine to be just another beverage available for the slurping, and they don’t see it as something that makes Mendoza truly a diamond in the rough. Cecilia Cabrera, founder of the program Learning to Make Wine in School, looks to fight this misconception of wine at its very source, among the next generation of consumers… or school children.
Cabrera launched the program two seasons ago and began with only one group of children. The past harvest Cabrera worked with two groups and for the upcoming season she already has 30 different school groups enrolled. Cabrera offers all different possible options tailored to the economic possibility of the group as well as the age. The older groups she works with get to make their own wine start to finish even designing the label and gifting a bottle to their parents, while kids as young as preschool can also participate but have a simplified version focusing on key concepts.
All the possible options Cabrera offers, however, have one thing in common, what she calls “emotional learning” or hands on tactics that inspire a profound connection to the material that simple theory will never provide. The most economic option often chosen by public schools lasts for only one day in the classroom (transport to Dolium winery is minimum 30 pesos per child making it inconceivable for large groups of kids), but still involves grapes (although supermarket bought), physical demonstrations and hands-on activities that teach about fermentation, maceration, clarification, oak aging etc.
The education of children in winemaking has also highlighted their parents’ ignorance to the whole process. Children through her program become savvier about wine than their parents. “Even the four-year olds!” Cabrera admits. For this motive, and an overwhelming interest among parents whose children completed the program these past years, next season she’ll begin a parallel program for the adults so they can learn alongside their kids.
Cabrera’s overwhelming growth in enrollment in such a short time, and the desire of parents to participate in the program shows us that all is not lost, in terms of locals taking interest in the industry. The way of reinvesting Mendocinos with passion in this industry comes from programs like Cabrera’s who uproot traditional ways of wine education and replace it with an education that you can feel, and taste and connect with.
For more information on the program contact Cecilia, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
