Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation

Forty years of making a difference for future generations of wine and hospitality leaders

- MARYANN WOROBIEC AND MITCH FRANK

Shovels went into the ground May 17 as Napa Valley College celebrated the groundbreaking for the Wine Spectator Wine Education Center. Funded by a $10 million gift, the largest donation ever made by the Wine Spectator Scholarship Founda

tion, the center will dramatically expand and update the teaching facilities of Napa Valley College and its Viticulture and Winery Technology program.

The new center will give future students incredible opportunities to learn the fundamentals of winemaking and viticulture in a first-class facility. That’s the idea behind the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation—to educate future leaders of the wine, restaurant and hospitality industries while also helping those in need.

“The additional educational opportunities offered through the Wine Spectator Wine Education Center will allow students to build extensive wine-related skills through an assortment of educational programs and degrees, all designed to enhance their careers,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator. “We are thrilled to be able to support this vital need for both Napa Valley College and the wine industry.”

Torence Powell, the college’s president, called the groundbreaking a pivotal moment for the school. “We are here to celebrate this really impactful moment for our Viticulture and Winery Technology program, for Napa Valley College, for the valley, and for the wine and hospitality industry.”

Building Wine and Hospitality’s Future

Over the past four decades, the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation has provided grants and scholarships to a variety of wine-related and culinary programs. As of this year, more than $40 million has been raised thanks to the generosity of vintners around the world who donate the wine for