September 15, 2026 (San Francisco, CA) — The San Francisco Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI-SF) is proud to announce Kaysie Rogers of SingleThread Farms and Madison Michael of GiGi’s as the recipients of its inaugural Wine Studies Grant. Each will receive a $2,500 award to support their continued wine education and professional development.
Launched in June 2026, the Wine Studies Grant was created to support women advancing their education and professional pathways within the wine industry. The program reflects LDEI-SF’s continued commitment to expanding access, increasing representation, and encouraging leadership among women across all sectors of wine.
The inaugural grant cycle drew a highly competitive pool of applicants from across the Bay Area. Following an independent review and scoring process by the Wine Studies Committee, six finalists were invited to respond to an additional question before Rogers and Michael were selected as the program’s first grant recipients.
“Kaysie’s and Madison’s applications rose to the top of a truly outstanding pool because of their clear commitment not only to advancing their own education, but to elevating, advancing, and supporting women throughout the food, beverage, and hospitality industries through mentorship, education, advocacy, and philanthropy,” said Emily Wines, Co-Chair of LDEI-SF’s Wine Studies Committee. “Their vision for how they will use their education to create opportunities for others so clearly reflects the mission and spirit of Les Dames d’Escoffier.”
The 2026 Wine Studies Grant Recipients:
Kaysie Rogers of Santa Rosa is a Floor Sommelier at SingleThread Farms in Healdsburg. A newly minted Master Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers and a WSET Diploma holder, Rogers passed the Master Sommelier exam one week after receiving her Wine Studies Grant, which she used to cover exam fees. She is also an active mentor to fellow sommeliers: she founded a 30-plus-member tasting group in Palm Beach and remains involved with the Napa tasting group.
In her application, Rogers wrote: “Being a woman in wine, to me, is both an act of rebellion and of radical self-acceptance. I want my role in the future of wine to be about making the path wider and less daunting for the women who come after me.”
Madison Michael of San Francisco is the General Manager and Wine Director of GiGi’s, a female- and Asian-owned Vietnamese wine bar. CMS Certified and preparing for her WSET Level 3 exam, Michael was recently selected for the 2026 Court of Master Sommeliers Women’s Sommelier Symposium cohort and will use grant funds toward the WSET Diploma or CMS Advanced Sommelier program. At GiGi’s, she has built education into the culture of the restaurant and has mentored women in the industry through the Bâtonnage Forum’s Mentorship Program.
“When I think about shaping a more inclusive future for wine, I think about becoming the kind of source others can draw from,” said Michael. “Because being the source is not about being the center … it’s about making sure what flows through you reaches someone else.”
This fall, LDEI-SF will host a celebratory reception in honor of the recipients with members of the chapter.
The Wine Studies Grant is led by LDEI-SF’s Wine Studies Committee, co-chaired by Emily Wines and Tish Wiggins, with members Katie Canfield and J’nai Gaither, and board liaison Jennifer Pagano.
Donations are welcome to help fund the 2027 awards and support additional educational opportunities for women in wine. For more information, visit our website: https://lesdamessf.org/donate.
For more information on the Wine Studies Grant, please visit the LDEI-SF website: https://lesdamessf.org/Wine-Studies-Grant.
About Les Dames d’Escoffier International
Founded in New York in 1976, LDEI is an international organization of women leaders who create a supportive culture in their communities to achieve excellence in the food, beverage, and hospitality fields. To do this, 2,500 members in 43 chapters worldwide provide leadership, educational opportunities, and philanthropy within their communities. For more information, visit LDEI.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram @lesdamesintl, LinkedIn and X @lesdamesintl.
About Les Dames d’Escoffier International – San Francisco Chapter
In 1989, 19 powerhouse women in the culinary field founded the San Francisco Chapter of Les Dames to bring the mission of LDEI to Northern California. Today, our 135+ members across the Bay Area include professional chefs and bakers, restaurateurs and winemakers, farmers and producers, as well as leading publicists and industry executives shaping the food and wine industry who nurture each other’s careers while mentoring the next generation of local culinary leaders. More information on the San Francisco chapter of LDEI can be accessed at lesdamessf.org. Follow our chapter activities on Instagram @lesdamessf and on Facebook.
