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ENLARGE
Chris Lake, the director of Umpqua Community College's Southern Oregon Wine Institute, balances on a pry bar Wednesday while digging holes to plant wine grapes with the help of George Dawson, right, and tractor driver Benjamin Kaesenkamp.
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ENLARGE
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This conceptual drawing by Fletcher Farr Ayotte Inc. architectural firm shows a southwest view of the winery planned at Umpqua Community College.
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WINCHESTER — Fog isn’t a sure deal here, local vintners warn, but the vineyard at Umpqua Community College now has a layer of fog-loving grapevines.
Southern Oregon Wine Institute Director Chris Lake and about 21 others — including students from the Phoenix School, UCC and a California nurseryman — spent Wednesday planting the beginnings of the college’s vineyard with nebbiolo, a grape that means fog in Italian.
Sutherlin High School students will plant syrah vines next week, completing the first year’s planting of 390 vines.
In the evening, a small ceremony took place on a grassy knoll — which is to become a courtyard — to unveil the architectural drawings of the planned winery.
Architects from Fletcher Farr Ayotte Inc. and Laurence Ferar and Associates Inc. discussed the plans for a 22,000-square foot, two-story structure that will cost between $6 million and $7 million.
UCC President Blaine Nisson said the money will come from outside donations and fundraisers. No date has been set for construction.
The building will house classrooms for the viticulture and enology program, the winery for the Southern Oregon Wine Institute program, an incubator space to launch startup wineries and a testing facility for the wine industry.
Architects estimate the space can also hold about 250 people for various events or conferences in the conference hall and classrooms, which have collapsible walls.
Troy Ainsworth, principal architect of FFA, said the goal was to design a concept that wouldn’t be just classrooms or just an event center, but flexibly conform to college needs.
Ainsworth said his firm was encouraged to use the stone and wood materials other campus buildings are made of, but weren’t limited to the same look.
“It was easy to get inspired by the landscape,” he said of the UCC campus and surroundings.
Lake said getting the building designed was needed this year so the vineyard could be built around areas saved for future construction.
Ainsworth and his associates explained the L-shaped design plans call for high sustainability standards. Nisson said UCC applied for federal stimulus funds for the construction of energy-efficient “green” structures.
Golden shovels were handed out to UCC staff, board and foundation members as well as members of the local wine industry involved in developing the wine institute.
Dorothy Williams, former owner of Chardor Winery of Roseburg, didn’t waste time with her fancy shovel and quickly sunk a plant into the ground before pictures could be snapped.
“I used to do this all the time,” she whispered.
Plants were donated from Lake County Grapevine Nursery of Clearlake Oaks, Calif., which buys rootstock from the current owners of Williams’ old vineyard.
Some local vintners are skeptical of Lake’s decision to plant the nebbiolo, but Lake said the characteristics of the variety — such as its love of early fog and late heat, late fruit maturity and susceptiblility to early frost — will give SOWI students needed exposure to some growing challenges.
• You can reach reporter DD Bixby at 957-4211 or by e-mail at dbixby@nrtoday.com.
Southern Oregon Wine Institute Director Chris Lake and about 21 others — including students from the Phoenix School, UCC and a California nurseryman — spent Wednesday planting the beginnings of the college’s vineyard with nebbiolo, a grape that means fog in Italian.
Sutherlin High School students will plant syrah vines next week, completing the first year’s planting of 390 vines.
In the evening, a small ceremony took place on a grassy knoll — which is to become a courtyard — to unveil the architectural drawings of the planned winery.
Architects from Fletcher Farr Ayotte Inc. and Laurence Ferar and Associates Inc. discussed the plans for a 22,000-square foot, two-story structure that will cost between $6 million and $7 million.
UCC President Blaine Nisson said the money will come from outside donations and fundraisers. No date has been set for construction.
The building will house classrooms for the viticulture and enology program, the winery for the Southern Oregon Wine Institute program, an incubator space to launch startup wineries and a testing facility for the wine industry.
Architects estimate the space can also hold about 250 people for various events or conferences in the conference hall and classrooms, which have collapsible walls.
Troy Ainsworth, principal architect of FFA, said the goal was to design a concept that wouldn’t be just classrooms or just an event center, but flexibly conform to college needs.
Ainsworth said his firm was encouraged to use the stone and wood materials other campus buildings are made of, but weren’t limited to the same look.
“It was easy to get inspired by the landscape,” he said of the UCC campus and surroundings.
Lake said getting the building designed was needed this year so the vineyard could be built around areas saved for future construction.
Ainsworth and his associates explained the L-shaped design plans call for high sustainability standards. Nisson said UCC applied for federal stimulus funds for the construction of energy-efficient “green” structures.
Golden shovels were handed out to UCC staff, board and foundation members as well as members of the local wine industry involved in developing the wine institute.
Dorothy Williams, former owner of Chardor Winery of Roseburg, didn’t waste time with her fancy shovel and quickly sunk a plant into the ground before pictures could be snapped.
“I used to do this all the time,” she whispered.
Plants were donated from Lake County Grapevine Nursery of Clearlake Oaks, Calif., which buys rootstock from the current owners of Williams’ old vineyard.
Some local vintners are skeptical of Lake’s decision to plant the nebbiolo, but Lake said the characteristics of the variety — such as its love of early fog and late heat, late fruit maturity and susceptiblility to early frost — will give SOWI students needed exposure to some growing challenges.
• You can reach reporter DD Bixby at 957-4211 or by e-mail at dbixby@nrtoday.com.
