Perhaps it’s because I recently said “so long” to cable and am subsisting on just a handful of television stations, but I haven’t seen the classic “back-to-school” commercial from Staples this year.
You know the one I’m talking about—Andy Williams’ version of the classic Christmas song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” provides the soundtrack as a jubilant father frolics around a Staples store, filling a shopping cart with school supplies, while his young son and daughter look on despondently.
Remember? If not—or even if you do, and just want to experience it one more time—here it is.
I had that very experience with my daughter when she was going into the fifth grade, and I expect to have it in future years with my grandchildren, now that they’re at grade levels that are more about learning than coloring. You hope that your kids and grandkids will always be enthusiastic about school, but you just never know.
College, of course, is a different matter. It can be assumed that most people attending four-year universities are there because they want to be. A significant percentage are clearly focused on career goals and taking classes leading to a degree that will help them obtain a job in their chosen field.
Just a few days ago, there was big news for those who wish to pursue careers in the wine industry. The planned Wine Science Center at the Tri-Cities campus of Washington State University in Richland, Wash., got a big boost when the Washington Wine Commission announced it would commit $7.4 million to support construction of the facility.1
In a press release, Ted Baseler, President and CEO of Ste. Michelle Estates, noted: “All of the world’s great wine regions have a benchmark institution that conducts research and education in the growing of grapes and winemaking. The Wine Science Center will enable us to properly educate our industry’s future leaders.”
Baseler also serves as chair of the Washington State’s Board of Regents.
What this means for aspiring grape growers and winemakers in the Northwest is that they will have one more choice in furthering their education in the wine field—and an option that is much closer to home than other viticulture and enology programs.
If you’ve always dreamed of getting into the wine business, or know someone who does, the resources listed below should be helpful. The list is not comprehensive by any means, but it does include several of the most respected wine-focused schools and programs around the world.
- Washington State wine industry viticulture and enology research programs
- Washington State’s Wine Science Center
- University of California Davis Viticulture & Enology program
- California State University-Fresno Viticulture & Enology program
- Bordeaux International Wine Institute (this program is focused primarily on marketing and management aspects of the wine industry)
- University of Adelaide’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
Whether one is seeking a degree or simply desires to add to their personal knowledge bank, anytime is a wonderful time to learn more about wine.
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