The ribbon for the Wine Spectator Wine Education Center on the campus of Napa Valley College (NVC) was officially cut Sept. 4, but the space has already been getting use as a place for learning, as students started classes a week earlier. The college hopes the new center will train the next generation of leaders in the wine industry.
Guests had the chance to sip wine made by the students and nibble on snacks as they explored the nearly 10,000-square-foot center, which more than doubles the previous classroom and training space for the college’s Viticulture and Winery Technology (VWT) program. Previously, classes were in danger of becoming standing room only, and the buildings were woefully dated. Now there are two sensory classrooms that seat up to 80 students, with an additional classroom with 28 state-of-the-art lab stations.
“This new education center is more than just a building. It represents opportunity,” explained Dr. Torence Powell, the superintendent and president of NVC. “Napa Valley College is proud to be a leader in the wine and hospitality education sector, providing degrees, certificates and career pathways that connect directly to our region’s defining industries.”
Powell added that many of the students are the first in their family to attend college. “This center reflects what can happen when vision, generosity and community come together. It will stand for generations as a symbol of what Napa Valley College values most: education, innovation and opportunity.”
A Mission of Supporting Wine Education
In 2021, the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation donated $10 million to expand and update the teaching facilities of NVC and its VWT program. Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator, announced the donation as part of the Scholarship Foundation’s efforts to help educate the next generation of American winemakers and grapegrowers. At NVC, students can earn certificates and degrees in viticulture, winemaking, and wine marketing and sales, as well as multiple industry certificates such as winery management, vineyard management and wine laboratory technician.
Over the past four decades, the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation has provided grants and scholarships to a variety of wine-related and culinary programs. To date, more than $30 million has been raised, supported by the generosity of vintners around the world, who donate wine for Wine Spectator’s Wine Experience, and the thousands of wine lovers who attend.
Foundation beneficiaries have included students at the University of California at Davis School of Viticulture & Enology, the Wine Spectator Learning Center at Sonoma State University’s Wine Business Institute, Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen, the Culinary Institute of America and the Roots Foundation, among others.
“Marvin Shanken started the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation 44 years ago with the vision to support educational institutions that assist students in becoming part of the wine industry,” Mel Mannion, senior advisor to the chairman and spokesperson for the Foundation, told the crowd.
Malcolm de Sieyes, president of the Napa Valley College Foundation, added, “Marvin Shanken saw not just what this [VWT] program was, but what it could be. His philanthropy, vision and generosity were the driving forces behind this transformation.”
The other major contributor to the new building is the estate of Evelyn Allen. Allen was an inspiring local teacher, law student and viticulturalist. She first took classes at NVC in 1944 and continued taking classes throughout her life. She left her estate to the Napa Valley College Foundation.
Training Napa’s Next Generation
The new building will boost the VWT program, which is already one of the largest community college wine programs in the United States, enrolling more than 800 students each year. The program emphasizes a hands-on, practical education and attracts a wide range of students, including recent high school graduates, industry professionals seeking to update their skills, retirees and hobbyist winemakers. NVC’s campus is located just south of downtown Napa and includes a five-acre vineyard (recently replanted thanks to a donation from vintner Darioush Khaledi) and a commercial winery, the first bonded winery in the California community college system.
The new building is considered the conclusion of phase one of a dramatic overhaul to the VWT program. Phase two, which still has funding needs, will be the adjacent Hospitality Training Center. Ground has broken and the facility is expected to open in early 2026. The space will address a growing industry need for skilled hospitality professionals trained in wine marketing, direct-to-consumer sales, wine club management, tourism and culinary hospitality.
“We recognize that making great wine alone isn’t enough,” said Jeff Dodd, a NVC Trustee. “What will truly set Napa apart is pairing wine with smart marketing and unmatched hospitality.”
In the crowd at the ribbon cutting ceremony were some of Napa’s current brightest stars, including Genevieve Janssens and Kurtis Ogasawara of Robert Mondavi Winery, consulting winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, Remi Cohen of Domaine Carneros and Quintessa’s Rebekah Wineburg.
Dr. Douglas Marriott, the NVC Senior Dean, noted that there is more to celebrate than just the new building. “Since this partnership with Wine Spectator was announced, the program has been evolving and growing. In the time since the announcement was made, we’ve added incredible new staff and faculty.”
Marriott closed the ceremony with a toast. “Let’s raise a glass to the opportunities we’re creating for generations to come to the joy of learning, teaching, sharing, collaborating and serving others. May our love and joy of serving others at Napa Valley College be like good wine and grow stronger as it grows older in this beautiful new space and beyond.”
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