FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2008

Media Contact: Emily Reneau
805 756-7071 | ereneau@calpoly.edu.

Sixth Annual Cal Poly Wine Festival is April 25 & 26

SAN LUIS OBISPO -- The Cal Poly Vines to Wines club will host its sixth annual Cal Poly Wine Festival on April 25 and 26.  The weekend includes a golf tournament and wine tasting that features California wineries as well as local restaurants and caterers.

The event, formerly known as “An Afternoon Amidst the Oaks,” is a benefit for the new Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture program and the student Vines to Wines club.

The 2008 Wine Festival is set for Saturday, April 26, at Santa Margarita Ranch, from 1 to 4 p.m. Some 100 wineries from across California will be pouring, and local restaurants will be on hand with appetizers. The event also includes a silent auction and music by the Central Coast band Shival Experience.

General admission tickets are $50. Cal Poly students, staff, and faculty can purchase tickets for $30. The Vines to Wines Club is also introducing a Gold Pass this year. The Gold Pass allows attendees to enter the Wine Festival at noon, one hour earlier, for an extra $20. Only 200 Gold Passes will be sold. Tickets are on sale now at the event website, www.calpolywinefestival.com.

This year’s Cal Poly Wine Festival again includes a pre-festival golf tournament. The Cal Poly Wine Festival Golf Classic will be held at Cypress Ridge Golf Course on Friday, April 25. Shotgun start is at 10:30 a.m. Participants receive a Golf Tee Bag, a Wine Festival Golf Classic polo shirt, a box lunch, and a ticket for the post-tournament raffle. There are three ticket packages available to participants ranging from $150 to $210.

For more details, visit the event website at www.calpolywinefestival.com.

About Vines to Wines
Vines to Wines is Cal Poly’s student-run organization dedicated to promoting active participation in wine education and establishing industry connections. The group’s "Learn by Tasting" philosophy equips leaders in wine business, oenology, and viticulture.

About the Cal Poly Wine Festival
The festival began as a Cal Poly senior project in 2003 and has grown each year. Last year the event drew over 1,000 wine enthusiasts, Cal Poly students, and alumni.  Nearly 100 wineries from the Napa, Sonoma, Lodi, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara regions participated in the event.

###