For students whose experience with wine is limited to the Franzia box variety, there's still hope with this weekend's Mt. Nittany Vineyard and Winery's Third Annual Harvest Festival.

Celebrating their 15th year in production, the winery will be offering free tours, free food from local vendors and, of course, free wine samples. The tour takes visitors inside the winery to observe the process of wine making and sample the wine in their tasting room. People can sample six of the 20 different wines available or even a "wine slushy," something you won't find at 7-Eleven.

Sandy Alexander, head of production at the winery, encouraged people to learn more about the process.

"We get a lot of people who are curious, so we try to keep it educational," Alexander said.

Profiting from the hot, dry summer, the winery has had a particular bountiful harvest this year, Alexander said.

Mt. Nittany also made a name for itself this year at the first annual Pennsylvania Wine Festival held in Hershey the first weekend of this month.

Their Vignoles won best in show, and their other wines also received similar awards. Some of their best-selling wines include Mt. Nittany White and Tailgate Red, a beverage choice to consider before the next big game.

Among its younger visitors, the winery attracts student interest from hospitality majors.

A number of students in the hospitality program are not only encouraged to visit the winery but some have worked there as well, said Peter Yersin, who teaches HRIM 411 (Beverage Management and Wine Selection). He said he believes knowledge of wine not only benefits hospitality majors but graduating students entering the business world.

"It's not just a consumer skill but a social and business skill," Yersin said. "It's part of business etiquette."

Alicia-Maria Andolina, president of the Penn State Hotel Restaurant Society, has traveled to vineyards from Switzerland to Italy as part of her HRIM 497F (International Food Management and Cuisine) class.

"I strongly believe that it's important for hospitality students to understand the wine and beer making process, as well as hold a general knowledge base about various grapes and vineyard techniques, especially if they intend on working within restaurants when they graduate," Andolina (senior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) said.

For those looking to enjoy wine on a non-professional level, a smaller vineyard like Mt. Nittany is a lot more informal than the Napa Valley types, with the winemakers right there to answer questions, said Jenny Engle, executive director of the Pennsylvania Wine Association.

This month is Pennsylvania Wine Month, as a part of the Pennsylvania Wine Association's campaign to familiarize residents what's available in their own backyard.

Engle said as the knowledge and desire to learn about wine increases, so does the number of wineries across the state. She also said the age of people drinking wine has changed over the years as well, with a growing demographic in the 21- to 34-year-old age group.

"We've been trying to take the intimidation out of the wine experience," Engle said. "We're trying to get people out of the mindset that wines are only for special occasions. You can enjoy it anytime, even with macaroni and cheese."

Yersin agreed that there's been a growing interest in wine recently.

"More and more people are turning to wine because of its documented health benefits of antioxidants in red and white wines," Yersin said. "Consumers are looking for a healthful alternative."