Building on the partnership between WSU’s V&E Program and the Wine Spectator Magazine, Dean André-Denis Wright accepted an invitation to attend the publication’s exclusive New York Wine Experience gala on October 18.
In 2017, Wine Spectator donated $1 million to the WSU Viticulture and Enology Program to help establish resources for teaching, research, and scholarships. The atrium of the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center is named in the magazine’s honor.
“Washington State University has demonstrated a leadership position in wine education in the United States, and we are therefore proud to recognize the university’s high achievement with our commitment,” said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher, Wine Spectator.
Wine Spectator is a print and online publication, with approximately 3 million readers worldwide. It examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine’s role in contemporary culture and providing expert reviews.
Since the establishment of the gift, WSU’s V&E Program has honored its top students with the Wine Spectator Student of the Year. Most recently, Noel Perez (’20) was awarded the prestigious scholarship.
Dean Wright was the guest of Mel Mannion, President and Chief Operating Officer of M. Shanken Communications, which is owned by Marvin Shanken, and is the parent company of Wine Spectator. Dean Wright was also accompanied by David Block, Professor & Marvin Sands Department Chair of Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis; Karen Block, Director of Industry Relations for Viticulture & Enology at UC Davis; and Ray Johnson, Executive Director of the Wine Business Institute at Sonoma State University.
“It was an honor to have been invited to the 2019 Wine Experience in New York,” Dean Wright said. “Partnerships like the one WSU shares with Wine Spectator are vital to the ongoing success of our Viticulture and Enology Program, and to the Washington wine industry at large.”
WSU’s Viticulture and Enology Program is a comprehensive education and research program that prepares students for successful careers in the wine industry and supports the needs of the region’s winemakers and grape growers. Multidisciplinary, science-based, and hands-on, the program offers students technical, scientific and practical experience in every aspect of the grape-growing and winemaking process.
Photo credits: Shannon Sturgis/Wine Spectator