Wine Society of Texas Announces Scholarship Grant Program Awards

The Wine Society of Texas announced the scholarship grant program awards totaling $5,000 in assistance for wine education, internship or field study, and the promotion of the Texas wine Industry.

The Wine Society of Texas (WST), a 501c3 non-profit educational organization, announced that it is awarding grants totaling $5,000 in support of five individuals from around the State.

This scholarship assistance program is consistent with the founding ideas of WST and its continued mission to enhance the appreciation of wines, foster the knowledge of enology and viticulture, support charitable activities, and educate wine consumers throughout the State of Texas. The funding for the WST Scholarship program is provided from charitable donations, local WST Chapter fund raising events, and annual statewide wine events/competitions.

Following is a summary of this year’s award recipients:

• $1,400 James F. Whitley Founder’s Grant is awarded to Kristina A. Oliverez. Ms. Oliverez is pursuing her MS in Horticulture at Texas A&M as well as a Wine Certification from UC Davis and is conducting research on Blanc Du Bois growing and wine production techniques.
• $1,250 Russell D. Kane Grant is awarded to Brent Pape. Mr. Pape is pursuing his MS in Agricultural Education at Texas Tech as well as a Texas Viticulture Certificate and is researching how generational differences among winegrowers influence their preferences for educational techniques and media
• $800 Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo Grant is awarded to Bryan K. Sales. Mr. Sales is pursuing his BS in Horticulture at Texas A&M with plans for graduate school this fall. He is in an Undergraduate Research Scholar program studying grape growth and production.
• $800 Grant is awarded to Kenneth Winnett. Mr. Winnett has nearly completed his AS in Viticulture and Enology at Grayson County College and has been accepted at Texas Tech for the same major starting in the spring of 2015. He has plans to start a winery after Texas Tech graduation in 2016.
• $750 Grant is also awarded to Russell D. Kane. Mr. Kane is writing a second book about the Texas wine industry focusing on the Hill Country, its history, and connection with other Texas wine regions.

This is the tenth year that the WST has provided grant assistance through the Scholarship Grant Program providing over $40,000 in total. “The Wine Society is pleased to continue its long tradition of providing meaningful scholarships to worthy individuals. This is our way of ‘going local’ to support Texas talent and invest in the future of Texas wine.” said Ms. Shirley Choate, State President of the WST.

For more information about the scholarship program or the WST please visit the website at www.winesocietyoftexas.org or contact WST by phone (713-705-8574).

The Wine Society of Texas (www.winesocietyoftexas.org), headquartered in Midland, Texas, was started in 1996 and received its 501(c) 3 non-profit status in 1999. It has over 150 members in five chapters around the State of Texas. The WST mission is: to enhance the appreciation of wine, especially Texas wines; educate the experienced as well as the beginning wine taster; promote the wine makers, and grape growers; foster the knowledge of oenology and viticulture; help in charitable activities throughout the state of Texas; and promote the responsible consumption of wine. The WST organizes events that promote appreciation of wine through education in a comfortable social setting with the aim of building an educated and responsible wine culture in Texas. The WST is focused on the consumers of wine in the State of Texas, providing consumer feedback to wineries, and is actively working with organizations and wineries in the State on various education programs.