By Jed Lanyon
After harvesting grapes from the school’s vineyard earlier this month, Upper Yarra Secondary College students got a glimpse behind the scenes of a winery to learn about the winemaking process.
Yarrawood Estate partnered with the Yarra Junction high school and helped plant a miniature vineyard on the school grounds three years ago.
Yarrawood Estate managing director Tim Schwaiger said, “Our winemaker Victor Nash is providing a tour and an introduction into the winemaking process.
“We’re looking at every stage of the winemaking process from the intake, going through crush and destemmer, through to fermentation, pressing and then going into an oak barrel for fermentation.”
Mr Schwaieger said he hoped the lesson would help the students maintain a connection with the fruit they harvested a fortnight ago at their school.
The Upper Yarra students are studying a Certificate II in Wine Industry Operations elective and partnered with Box Hill Institute to deliver the program.
One of the students taking part in the tour was Zach, who said he was “loving it”.
“(We’re learning) about winery operations and the way our grapes have been fermented and turned into wine,” he said.
The Year 12 student said he enjoyed tasting the non-alcoholic grape juice before it made its journey into a wine bottle.
