CAL POLY - Students at Cal Poly can now earn a degree in winemaking.

The university will begin a bachelor's degree program in wine and viticulture in the spring quarter, which starts March 29.

The program builds upon the 5-year-old minor Cal Poly offers in the same subject. It has produced 127 graduates and includes a partnership with E&J Gallo on a 152-acre vineyard on university land.

The bachelor's program will focus on blending viticulture, enology and the business aspects of the wine industry. The goal is to produce graduates ready to step into careers on the business or agricultural side of California's multibillion dollar industry, said Dean of Agriculture David Wehner.

The new program will allow students to do senior projects, internships and field work at local wineries. UC Davis and CSU Fresno are the only other public universities in the state that offer bachelor's degrees in the field, but none will require an internship like Cal Poly's program.

"All of our students will work through summer and spend one quarter working through the crush and harvest to gain actual experience," said viticulture professor Keith Patterson. "That's one of the great things Cal Poly offers -- that learn-by-doing tradition is still in operation here."

For more information on the degree program, visit the College of Agriculture Web site at: http://calpolyag.com/.