Fresno State hosts Whole Vine Festival honoring San Joaquin Valley farmers

FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Fresno State hosted the fourth annual Whole Vine Festival on Saturday to honor grape growers in the San Joaquin Valley.

The San Joaquin Valley grows table grapes, raisin grapes, and wine grapes side by side.

Nearly every raisin in America is grown within about 60 miles of Fresno, and 99% of the country’s commercially grown table grapes come from California.

Visitors got a chance to learn about the featured Valley grape farmers.

Steve Reitz, a raisin growerGeorge Rodriguez, a table grape growerNick and Brian Davis, wine grape growersRandy Kazarian, a wine grape growerAlbert and Maurice Smith, raisin growers.

Guests got a chance to participate in a wine tasting.

The wine was made by Fresno State students, who earned four gold medals in 2026.

Live music was performed by We Got The Beat, the University High School Jazz Ensemble, Matthew Malcolm, Super Sonic, and In Kahootz.

Food trucks competed in a cook-off to see who could make the best grape-themed dish.