$5,000 per year for four years
June 22, 2026 (Rutherford, CA) — Continuing a tradition that reflects founder Andy Beckstoffer’s longstanding commitment to education, community engagement, and the families who have helped build Beckstoffer Vineyards, the company has awarded its annual college scholarships to two graduating seniors from Kelseyville High School.
The 2026 recipients are Riley Lopez, son of Beckstoffer Vineyards employee Leticia Lozano, and Michelle Ramirez-Arias, daughter of Beckstoffer Vineyards–Red Hills employee José Fernando Ramírez Sepúlveda.
Each scholarship provides $5,000 per year for up to four years for students attending a four-year college or university, or up to two years for students attending a community college. Lopez plans to study Electrical Engineering and is currently finalizing his college plans. Ramirez-Arias will attend Mendocino College, where she intends to study Human Biology.
Established in 2011, the Beckstoffer Vineyards Scholarship Program was created to support the educational aspirations of employees’ children and to invest in the future of the communities where the company farms and operates. The program reflects a philosophy that has guided Beckstoffer Vineyards since its founding: that a company’s success is inseparable from the well-being and opportunities afforded to its employees and their families.
“Education opens doors and creates possibilities that extend far beyond the individual student,” said Andy Beckstoffer, Founder and Chairman of Beckstoffer Vineyards. “We are proud of Riley and Michelle and honored to support their next chapter. Investing in education is one of the most meaningful ways we can give back to the families and communities that are so important to our company.”
Recipients of the scholarship are selected through a competitive process that evaluates academic achievement, leadership, character, well-roundedness, and creativity. Eligible applicants must be graduating high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 3.5 whose parent or guardian has worked for Beckstoffer Vineyards for at least three consecutive years.
For more than five decades, Beckstoffer Vineyards has played a transformative role in California winegrowing while remaining deeply committed to its employees and the communities in which it operates. The scholarship program is one of many initiatives that reflect the company’s enduring support for educational opportunity, fair labor practices, and community investment.
About Beckstoffer Vineyards
Beckstoffer Vineyards is a venerable, family-owned California vineyard company that farms 2,000 acres in Mendocino County, Red Hills of Lake County, and Napa Valley, which is home to the company’s historic, world-class heritage vineyards. Founded in 1970, Beckstoffer Vineyards has played a transformative role in shaping the business of premium California winegrape growing. Beyond setting the benchmark for quality, the company has been a steadfast advocate for winegrower rights, fair labor practices, land preservation, environmental stewardship, and community engagement.
In 2023, Founder and Chairman Andy Beckstoffer donated his historic professional papers to the UC Davis Library. This extraordinary collection chronicles his journey to prominence and stands alongside the legacies of other visionary figures who helped shape California’s grape growing and wine industries.
