Frank Perez’s favorite memory from his first year studying winemaking was when he and his classmates bottled their 2025 vintage. The April day was a master class. It illustrated how big of a team it takes to make a bottle of wine.
“It started the day before. We were sterilizing or filtering a lot of the whites, getting them ready,” Perez said. “The truck rolls in, everybody has a doughnut, and it’s time to get to work.”
Student-powered
Visit the tasting room at Allan Hancock College (Room 211 in Building O) on the first and third Thursdays of the month from 2 to 5 p.m. Purchase wine online and find any changes in the winery’s hours at hancockcollege.edu/winery/about.php. Follow on Instagram @ahcwinery.
Learn more about Cal Poly wines at calpolywine.com.
Much of the day required coordination with truck operators, communicating about the moving parts. When all was said and done, Perez and his Allan Hancock College classmates produced around 300 cases, a relatively small batch because of last year’s quantity of grapes.
Some of those bottles ended up at Hancock’s booth on June 13 during its annual college wine festival. The celebration honored the hard work of Hancock’s Viticulture and Enology students and other schools with winemaking programs. This year there were a dozen students enrolled in the winemaking operations class.
The Santa Maria campus hosted winemakers from about seven West Coast colleges and universities, representatives from nearby wineries, and local food vendors for more than 300 guests.
Before the afternoon festival, a panel of around 15 local winemakers and critics judged submissions from nine colleges. After the double-blind tasting, Hancock’s 2025 grenache blanc received a silver. Judges compiled their notes, and Hancock sent them back to the colleges for future reference.
Separate from the competition, students also had the opportunity to hand out tastings during the festival. Among the crowd was Fresno State, Washington State University, and Santa Rosa Junior College.
Cal Poly was expected to enter the contest but didn’t submit its wines in time amid graduation weekend. The school still handed out tastings to festivalgoers.
‘I really, really enjoy the challenge and everything that I’ve absorbed and learned so far.’
—Frank Perez, Allan Hancock College Viticulture and Enology student
While strolling along the tasting route, guests also enjoyed offerings from The Century Room at the Santa Maria Inn, Maya Mexican Restaurant, Testa Catering, Glorificate Coffee Delight, and desserts from Trader Joe’s. Tasters also got to sample from local vintners like CrossHatch Winery, Rockets Red Wines, and Flying Goat Cellars.
For students like Perez, the festival was a way to learn about production from other regions of the West Coast.
“Being from California, and kind of being spoiled by California wines, I’m really curious about Yavapai College out of Arizona,” Perez said before the festival. “Some of the varietals that they submitted I’d never heard of. … I’m really intrigued as to what types of wines are produced down in the desert, and I think it’ll be exciting.”
He recently finished his first year in the viticulture program after retiring from a 28-year career in the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
However, it’s not his first time on Hancock’s campus. Perez graduated with a liberal arts degree about three decades ago.
“This is kind of a second go around for me, and I really, really enjoy the challenge and everything that I’ve absorbed and learned so far,” Perez said.
The main thing he’s appreciated about the winemaking program is that it’s hands-on from the beginning. Perez remembered being involved with crushing and fermenting in his early days, which some colleges don’t permit until year two or three.
Next semester, he’ll be learning about wine business, chemistry, and small acreage grape growing. Perez said he hopes to join the industry in the future and make wonderful wines.
For now, he’s content learning from Grace Wearda, the head of winery operations at Hancock.
“[Wearda] is a great teacher, and she makes sure that we’re a part of every aspect of the process,” Perez said.
Starting her second year directing the program, Wearda is excited about any exposure that showcases their efforts. She said some people in the community don’t realize Hancock has a winery on campus or that they can come in for a tasting.
“When they come and experience it, they’re pleasantly surprised,” Wearda said.
It’s her second time helping to organize the wine festival. This year the event grew with more food vendors and local wineries. Her mission is to give the community a reason to come out and support the program while experiencing the area’s wine boom.
Plus, she’s out to change people’s minds about student-made wine.
“It’s always fun to have the guests there and see how excited they are,” Wearda said. “They’re always pleasantly surprised to try college wine that isn’t bad. … It’s made by students, but it’s actually really well done.”
Hancock’s festival is the only one of its kind in the area that Wearda knows of.
“We’re giving students hands-on, industry-ready experience,” Wearda said, “and just hoping to keep the program alive.”
Reach Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in June 18 – June 25, 2026.
