UCC Wine Students Earn Four Medals In Regional And College Wine Competitions

ROSEBURG, Ore. — Students in Umpqua Community College’s Southern Oregon Wine Institute are celebrating a strong showing after wines produced through the college’s Wine Making & Viticulture program earned four medals in two recent wine competitions.

The awards highlight both the student work behind the bottles and the quality of Umpqua Valley grapes used in the program.

Most recently, UCC students earned two medals at the 2026 Pacific Northwest Wine Competition:

• Double Gold Medal for the 2023 Pinot Noir
• Silver Medal for the 2023 Tempranillo

The Pacific Northwest Wine Competition featured 644 entries judged through blind tastings by a panel of wine industry professionals. A Double Gold Medal is awarded only when every judge on the panel gives a wine a Gold rating.

The recognition followed another strong performance at the 4th Annual West Coast College & University Wine Festival, held June 13 at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. It was UCC’s first time participating in the event.

At that competition, UCC students earned:

• Gold Medal for the 2023 Tempranillo
• Bronze Medal for the 2023 Pinot Noir

Both wines were made by students using grapes grown in the Umpqua Valley.

Joel Goodwillie, UCC winery manager, said the awards are a reflection of the students’ work from vineyard to bottle.

“The real story is what our students have accomplished,” Goodwillie said. “Every bottle recognized in these competitions was produced through the dedication, skill, and teamwork of our students. These awards reflect the hands-on education they receive and the pride they take in producing exceptional wines from Umpqua Valley fruit.”

Through the Wine Making & Viticulture program, students take part in each stage of the winemaking process, including vineyard management, harvest, fermentation, bottling, labeling, marketing and tasting room operations.

The Southern Oregon Wine Institute is located in the Danny Lang Teaching, Learning & Event Center and includes a commercial-scale teaching winery and a five-acre vineyard. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in wine production, vineyard management, winery operations and wine business.

UCC offers certificates in Wine Production, Vineyard Management and Winery/Tasting Room Management, giving students multiple pathways into Oregon’s growing wine industry.

College officials said the recent medals recognize more than the finished wines. They also point to the value of the program’s hands-on learning model, where students gain real-world experience while producing wines that can compete on a broader stage.

More information about the Southern Oregon Wine Institute and UCC’s Wine Making & Viticulture program is available at umpqua.edu/wine.