KENT STATE WINES A GROWING BRAND

Students earn degrees in growing wine grapes, making wine

Edward Trebets is every bit the proud father when it comes to the Viticulture and Enology programs he directs for Kent State University at Ashtabula.

A resident of Chester Township and highly regarded winemaker, Trebets is the lecturer for both programs. He also is owner-operator of Urban Vintner in Willoughby.

Launched in 2011, the degree programs are the only ones of their kind offered in Ohio. They have produced 23 graduates with associate of applied science degrees in either or both viticulture, the growing and cultivation of grapes, and enology, the making of wine.

Twenty-five students will have taken the courses between the Fall 2018 and Spring 2019 courses. Course requirements include on-line classroom study and in-the-field experience.

“You can read all the books you want, but you have to get your hands in the soil, on the vines and in the winemaking room to

“It’s very exciting for us to watch these students learn what it takes to go from soil to vine to bottle and make excellent products. These wines are their babies.” — Kim Laurello, co-owner of Laurello Vineyards

fully understand the process,” Trebets said.

Lori Lalak Lee, senior special assistant in Kent State Ashtabula’s Office of Academic Affairs, gave credit to Trebets for coming up with a concept that deepens the learning experience for students in the programs.

“He wanted to find a way for students to actually make wine. Then, he figured it out,” Lee said.

Kent State Ashtabula established a partnership in November 2017 with Laurello Vineyards of Harpersfield Township to have students make wines at Laurello and bottle them under the Kent State Ashtabula label.

In its first year, the partnership yielded two wines — Sunburst, a Grand River riesling, and Sunset, a blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc. Both earned bronze medals at the 2017 Ohio Wine Competition.

“It’s very exciting for us to watch these students learn what it takes to go from soil to vine to bottle and make excellent products,” said Kim Laurello, co-owner of Laurello Vineyards. “These wines are their babies.”

Bottles of Sunburst and Sunset are sold at Laurello Vineyards for $13 and $19, respectively.

The newest product of the partnership is 17°, a Vidal Blanc ice wine. Priced at $30 per bottle, it has been available since Feb. 13 at Laurello Vineyards and in Kent at the Kent Cheesemonger and Campus Wine Cellar.

Laurello said sales have been brisk for all the Kent State Ashtabula wines.

Trebets said Kent State Ashtabula’s proximity to the 30-plus Grand River Valley wineries in Ashtabula and Lake counties is another plus for graduates of the viticulture and enology programs.

Lopri Albrecht, owner of Park Avenue Winery in Ashtabula, earned her associate degree in Enology at Kent State Ashtabula in 2017. Her winery currently sits at 4316 Park Ave. She discussed what she thought the campus’s program did well and why she thought it was great.

“The program is great because it’s specific to the varieties of wine grapes we grow in Ohio and the wines we make with those grapes,” Albrecht said.

Launched in 2011, the degree programs are the only ones of their kind offered in Ohio. They have produced 23 graduates with associate degrees.

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT ASHTABULA — MELISSA OLSON Edward Trebets is the program director and lecturer in viticulture and enology at Kent State University at Ashtabula.

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT ASHTABULA — JASON TIROTTA Kent State Ashtabula “17” Vidal Blanc Ice Wine

KENT STATE UNIVERSITY AT ASHTABULA — MELISSA OLSON Laurello Vineyards co-owner Kim Laurello and KSU at Ashtabula enology student Brad Indoe work at Laurello.