Doffo Winery Partners With High School In Unique Viticulture Program

TEMECULA, CA —A unique partnership between two Southwest Riverside County neighbors and educators has left a lasting imprint on Orange Vista High School students of the school's viticulture pathway.

After four years of work Doffo Winery CEO and winemaker Damian Doffo and Orange Vista High School Assistant Principal Lou Randall, together with hundreds of students, are ready to share the fruits of their labor.

The project began in 2018 with the planting of 980 donated cabernet sauvignon vines.

In 2020, the first harvest was crushed and barreled.

Now, in 2022, Doffo has proclaimed the product is "ready to bottle," and will be debuted for sale later this summer. A portion of the proceeds from the sales will return to the school in this event which has been a long time coming. A fundraising gala for the program will take place on Saturday, August 6.

Many hands have made light work of the school's farm-to-bottle process.

If you've ever visited Doffo Winery, you can sense there is something special about it. Large outdoor speakers play music to the growing vines. They offer memorable, unique tasting room experiences, along with a collection of vintage motorcycles for all to see. Still, wine education has always been at the heart of the Doffo family.

In 2018, Doffo and his neighbor Randall conceived a school program aimed at introducing a younger generation to hands-on farming, chemistry, and biology through real work in a vineyard.

"2022 marks Doffo Winery’s 25th Anniversary, so the timing to launch this wine that has become such a special project to our family feels even more exciting," Doffo said. "The concept of legacy is very important to us at Doffo. To be able to spark interest in agriculture and the many opportunities out there in viticulture and winemaking through this partnership for the next generation is extremely rewarding."

More than just a fun agricultural activity, the Doffo program incorporates many different technical and educational components that work in tandem.

Doffo has helped students learn the intricacies of the wine business, from farm to production.

Students of the viticulture program learn about growing and maintenance and a video production program that documents the entire life of a grape from seed to bottle. The engineering and manufacturing program certifies students with the FAA Part 107 to operate drones in the vineyard. Further, a design competition for the bottle label is currently underway in the graphics and design program.

According to Doug Henderson, Director of the STEAM and CTE programs at Val Verde Unified School District, "students are getting a hands-on look at everything that goes into producing a finished bottle of wine."

Henderson discussed the project, which has engaged over 600 students in the viticulture pathway.

"Viticulture gave us the opportunity to provide a project that all career & technical education [CTE] programs at Orange Vista could participate in," Henderson said. "Students love the opportunity to get their hands dirty and apply what they are learning in the classroom. We have plans to expand the number of students and CTE programs that are involved in the viticulture pathway."

One hundred cases of the inaugural wine will be bottled in July 2022 and released in August. Stay tuned for more information on how to buy a bottle yourself and support the school programs.