Wine Institute on site, which is also part
of Niagara College. All culinary students
get wine, beer and spirits training. All wine
students get a bit of food, beer and spirits
training. We make sure everyone is well
rounded because at a small operation, you
typically wear more than one hat. There is
overlap within the beverage industry.”
While students attend regular
college classes in English, chemistry, and
the like, they also spend time in real-life
teaching labs, where they can create
their own beverage blends. Classes have
the run of the facility’s two vineyards, a
two-acre hops yard and a small apple
orchard. Botanicals planted around the
distillery can be picked and infused into
custom blends.
“Colleges are famous for applied
learning and hands-on learning is, to my
mind, one of the best ways to learn,” said
Gill. “They are learning in a setting that is
a real business.”
The teaching facilities are open to the
public, with a beautiful outdoor wine and
beer garden available in spring, summer
and fall. Drinks are served by the glass
and visitors can nosh on custom-paired
concoctions from onsite food trucks.
EDUCAT I O N
“I think this gives you a
head start. You don’t
learn everything in
school, but here you
learn the exact science
and the proper way
of doing things.”
– Steve Gill, Niagara College Learning Enterprise Corporation
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