The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has announced the identities of eight wine industry leaders who will be officially inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame at a gala fund-raising reception and dinner ceremony on March 7 at the CIA at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif.
Leading this year’s Hall of Fame inductees are Ernest & Julio Gallo (E&J Gallo Winery), Paul Draper (Ridge Vineyards), Milijenko “Mike” Grgich (Grgich Hills) and Sacramento wine merchant and forager supreme, Darryl Corti.
In addition, the panel also voted in as “Pioneers” the founders of three iconic wineries: John Daniel (Inglenook); Louis P. Martini (Louis M. Martini Winery), and Carl Wente (Wente Vineyards). The “Pioneer” category recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the California wine industry, and who passed away prior to March 1988.
“We all owe a huge ‘thank you’ to the wine writers, critics and historians who selected this year’s inductees. They made some very difficult decisions in an industry with so many outstanding leaders,’ said Dr. Lawrence Timothy Ryan, President of the CIA “I am looking forward to celebrating their choices at the 2nd annual Induction Dinner this March.”
The Vintners Hall of Fame induction dinner endows new scholarship programs for the Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies at the CIA at Greystone. Tickets for the gala are priced at $250. For reservations and more information, contact events@balzac.com or call 707-255-7667.
For more information on the Vintners Hall of Fame and to view photos from last year’s gala, visit http://www.ciaprochef.com/winestudies/vintners.html.
Founded in 1946, the Culinary Institute of America is an independent, not-for-profit college offering bachelor’s and associate degrees in the culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. To learn more about the school,=, visit the CIA’s website at www.ciachef.edu.
