April 14th – (Napa – CALIF.) — The Napa Valley Wine Academy (NVWA), America’s Premier Wine School, has announced three new scholarships developed to make wine education accessible to diverse applicants. Through the school’s non-profit NVWA Education Foundation, the mission of promoting diversity in the wine industry continues with the establishment of these new programs.
“Napa Valley Wine Academy was born of the mission to put the student at the center of everything we do. For too long, the wine industry has been an industry of exclusion rather than one of inclusion,” said NVWA Founder Christian Oggenfuss, “This has certainly been the case when it came to providing equal opportunities for people of color, women, and the LGBTQ community.”
Committed to making an investment in the evolution of the wine world, as well as support non-profit organizations that benefit a wide array of people, NVWA scholarship programs include Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) tuition assistance, Business of Wine and other certifications that can be earned at the academy.
The three new scholarship programs focused upon diversity and inclusion include:
Association of African-American Vintners
The AAAV Scholarship Program is open to BIPOC or anyone who is committed to actively improving diversity in the wine industry. The program awards 24 course scholarships to applicants who are committed to diversity in the wine industry. Applications are open through June 30, 2021. Apply here.
Chloe Wine Collection Learn for Success Scholarship Program
Open to female applicants, the Chloe Wine Collection Learn for Success Scholarship Program awards five separate $1000 scholarships to applicants who are in the industry (or entering the wine industry), and who identify the use of the scholarship for career purposes. Applications are open through May 15, 2021. Apply here.
Created to empower underrepresented minorities in the wine industry, The Roots Fund is committed to investing in the Black, Indigenous and LatinX wine communities to provide opportunities to those seeking a career and education in all aspects of wine. Applications will be accepted beginning May 5, 2021. Learn more here.
“We are proud to be partnering with some of the most forward-thinking organizations to provide opportunities for diversity when it comes to wine education. We are proud to have taken an active role, since early 2020, in changing the face of our industry and expanding the diversity of those faces that will shape its future,” Oggenfuss added.
The NVWA Education Foundation 501c3 has in the past, and will continue in the future, partnerships with organizations such as Wine Unify, as well as NBA star and wine lover Josh Hart and Wine Access awarding scholarships to aspiring BIPOC wine experts. Napa Valley Wine Academy holds the belief that education is the cornerstone of a better career and a higher level of hospitality, and that everyone deserves access to education regardless of their financial situation. For more visit NapaValleyWineAcademy.com/
Napa Valley Wine Academy is America’s Premier Wine School™ and the two-time winner of the WSET Global Wine Educator of the Year, having won in 2016 and 2019, making it the most awarded WSET wine school in the world. The Academy is based in Napa Valley, California with ten locations across the United States and online. NVWA is proud to be an approved program provider of the internationally recognized WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) series of wine, spirit, and sake courses (including WSET Levels 1 through 4 in Wine) as well as a full suite of online classes and a host of other specialty classes critical for wine and beverage industry professionals and ideal for enthusiasts. For more information about the Napa Valley Wine Academy visit NapaValleyWineAcademy.com.
