Building the Future of Wine Research: Your Donation Matters

The American Wine Society Educational Foundation (AWSEF)  has awarded over $500,000 in scholarships over the past three decades. Whether it’s canopy management, managing smoke taint, or navigating extreme climates, research is critically important if we want to continue the growth of the wine industry in the U.S. and beyond. While we have not officially studied this, but I am confident that the various research projects have delivered far more than $500,000 in value to the wine industry.

In the 2025 scholarship period, applicants representing students from 11 different universities across North America applied. Since 1995, the AWSEF has provided more than $576,000 in scholarships to 185 students at 25 different universities across the United States and Canada.

The AWSEF annually awards eight academic scholarships (seven valued at $3,500 each and one valued at $5,000) to support full-time graduate students pursuing degrees in enology, viticulture, health, or the business aspects of wine.

Applicants must be North American (i.e., U.S., Canada, Mexico, Bahamas, and West Indies Islands) citizens or permanent residents and enrolled in a college or university program leading to an MS or PhD degree.  

The application process opens on January 1st. All applications must be fully completed and submitted by March 31 of each calendar year to be eligible for a scholarship award beginning in the fall term of the subsequent academic year. 

Award recipients are usually announced around June 1 of each year.

Scholarship information and application may be found on this site on the Application page.

Congratulations to the 2025 scholarship recipients from many of the leading enology and viticultural programs in North America.

Having a family member who needed to generate funding for their graduate research not in the wine or viticultural arena) I can speak to the pressure they are under to secure research funding.

Each recipient has expressed their gratitude. If you want to meet the 2025 grant recipients you can do so virtually at Meet the American Wine Society Educational Foundation (AWSEF) 2025 Scholarship Awardees on You Tube.

If you want to start or support a scholarship, you can contact AWSEF Treasurer, Walter Rachele at treasurer01@awsef.org. Walt has funded his own scholarship and I am planning on establishing something in 2026 as well.

We can’t do this without your help! I know some employers may match your charitable donation, so remember that as you contemplate this activity.

Starting a scholarship is a wonderful way to create a legacy memory for someone or something meaningful to you as well as help assure the future of enology and viticulture.

In addition to contacting Walt, you can also contact Isabelle Lesschaeve,  AWSEF Vice President, Scholarships at vpscholarships01@awsef.org. Scholarships can be funded with your tax-deductible gift of $3,500.

You can also add to an existing scholarship. Please consider donating today.

Cheers,

Bill Ellis, RPh, MS, WSET2

AWSEF Board Member-Elect