By Laci Jones, FAPC Communications Student

(Stillwater, Okla. – April 2, 2015) Oklahoma State University’s Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center will promote Made in Oklahoma wine and food products during the annual Wine Forum of Oklahoma.

Scheduled for April 10-11 on OSU’s Stillwater campus, the annual event will feature educational wine seminars, wine tasting, and food and wine pairings. Celebrity chef and former OSU student Kurt Fleischfresser also will make an appearance.

“Oklahoma vineyards and wineries were asked to submit their wines to FAPC for an opportunity to participate in the forum,” said William McGlynn, FAPC horticultural products processing specialist. “We will highlight two Oklahoma wineries that will present a selection of wines for tasting.”

The two participating wineries are Canadian River Winery from Lexington, Oklahoma, and Plymouth Valley Cellars from Fairview, Oklahoma.

The Wine Forum of Oklahoma attendees will have the opportunity to taste the state-produced wines, and the winemakers will present and discuss their products during the Made in Oklahoma session on April 11 from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.

The session also will highlight three state food companies: Suan’s Foods of Oklahoma City, Lovera’s Famous Italian Market of Krebs, Oklahoma, and Farrell’s Family Bread Co. of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“We wanted to choose a variety of Made in Oklahoma products that pair well with wine,” said Andrea Graves, FAPC business planning and marketing specialist. “The forum is a really great marketing tool for these businesses.”

Following the Made in Oklahoma session, the state wineries and food companies will have another opportunity to promote and provide samples of their products to other event attendees during the Grand Tasting taking place April 11 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“The Grand Tasting is an excellent way to promote Made in Oklahoma wines and food products in front of the rest of the more than 900 participants of this exclusive event,” McGlynn said.

FAPC, a part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, helps to discover, develop and deliver information that will stimulate and support the growth of value-added food and agricultural products and processing in Oklahoma.

For more information about the Wine Forum of Oklahoma, please visit www.wineforumofoklahoma.com.

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Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system of interdisciplinary programs that prepares students for success. OSU is America’s Brightest Orange. Through leadership and service, OSU is preparing students for a bright future and building a brighter world for all. As Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 245,000 students to serve Oklahoma, the nation and the world.