McMinnville and the surrounding areas are known for their beautiful wineries. Linfield sits within the center of Oregon wine country and is home to the International Pinot Noir Celebration.

It only makes sense that the college takes advantage of this industry.

Linfield has been doing a great job of helping students learn more about wine and also providing them with the opportunity to get involved in the industry.

One of these opportunities is the Linfield College Oregon Wine Industry Experience.

In this internship, students learn about the business of wine through experiential learning. This is a year-long internship that starts during the summer, continues through the fall harvest and ends in spring.

During the summer, students get an overview of the industry. Fall is spent with hands-on harvesting experience at a single vineyard.

January Term is an opportunity for the selected interns to learn about the multitude of jobs that are available in the wine industry.

Finally, spring is spent working with staff to develop a wine experience.

This kind of experience is priceless for many students, as they begin their job search after college. An internship can greatly add to a candidate’s resume.

This internship also provides networking contacts for future employment opportunities and a chance to apply a liberal arts education to a local industry.

In addition, Linfield College is involved in a project dedicated to preserving Oregon’s wine history.

The Oregon Wine History Project is an online accumulation of photographs, history and information located in Nicholson Library, while the Oregon Wine History Archive is the physical source.

This resource allows students the opportunity to learn more about Oregon wine history and get involved in local endeavors.

Ultimately, these opportunities are great for Linfield and the communities surrounding it. Students get a chance to learn from hands-on internships and employers get some eager new employees.

This ongoing partnership has the potential to help the economy, create jobs and give students a wonderful opportunity to start their lives after Linfield.

It is a special and wonderful opportunity, and we hope students really do take advantage of it.

-The Review Editorial Board