Travel, educational opportunities, and mentorship for the next generation of wine professionals

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Applications are now closed for upcoming trips:

Champagne - January 14-21, 2023
Burgundy - January 21-28, 2023

  • We are the team behind the world-renowned wine festivals La Paulée, La Fête du Champagne, and La Tablée, as well as Pressoir.wine.

    The Sommelier Scholarship Fund is an official 501c3 organization that expands our educational initiatives for sommeliers that started in 2014 and have continued over the years with numerous "Sommelier Scholarship" trips to Burgundy and Champagne.

    We have been fortunate to have had opportunities throughout our years as professionals to learn about wine by walking the vineyards and tasting in the cellars of great winemakers. We have created this foundation to pay these experiences forward to the next generation of wine professionals, whose training, knowledge, and passion are vital to the furtherance of wine culture in restaurants in the United States and around the world.

    Our objective is to open doors to young sommeliers and wine professionals who are striving to achieve excellence in the world of wine through organizing educational travel programs - both to wine regions and to come work at our festivals - hosting seminars & dinners, and supporting other educational organizations and initiatives.

  • Champagne
    January 14-21, 2023

    Hugo Songthum Wai • Niche Niche, NYC
    Kezia Prajitna • Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen, Kansas City
    Eleanor Reppy • Momofuku Ko, NYC
    Madeline Miller • Misi, NYC

    Burgundy
    January 21-28, 2023

    Macarena Carillo • COTE Miami
    Hannah Small • Atoboy, NYC
    Rick Arline • Hotel PerLa, Los Angeles
    David Bérubé • DANIEL, NYC

  • Northern Rhône July 2-7, 2022

    Etinosa Emokpae • The Roots Fund, Skurnik Wines & Spirits, Philadelphia, PA
    Gilber Flores • Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, New York, NY
    Roxy Eve Narvaez • Second Vine Wine, New Orleans, LA

    Champagne, January 2022
    Luis Garcia • Per Se, New York, NY
    Ryanna Kramer • Tavernetta, Denver, CO
    Femi Oyediran • Graft Wine Shop, Charleston SC
    Dwight Alexander Phyall • The Roots Fund, Washington DC

    Burgundy, January 2020
    Arni Cabatingan • Atomix, New York, NY
    Erica Catubig • Canlis, Seattle, WA
    Alec Cummings • The Morris, San Francisco, CA
    Jeremy Schwartz • Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, CO

    Burgundy, January 2019
    Daniel Bjugstad • Pasquale Jones, New York, NY
    Patrick Wert • The Grill, New York, NY

    Burgundy, January 2018
    Jennifer Ely • Private Cellar Selections, New York, NY
    Daniel Jung • Tribeca Grill, New York, NY
    Katja Scharnagl • Le Bernardin, New York, NY

    Burgundy, January 2017
    Ashley Broshious • Charlie Palmer Steak, Napa, CA
    Caleb Ganzer • Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels, New York, NY
    Eduardo Porto-Carreiro • Untitled at the Whitney, New York, NY

    Burgundy, January 2016
    Cedric Nicaise • Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY
    Kimberly Prokoshyn • Rebelle, New York, NY
    Steve Wildy • Vetri, Philadelphia, PA

    Burgundy, November 2014
    Bryn Birkhahn • Pearl & Ash, New York, NY
    Carlin Karr • Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder, CO
    Jeff Taylor • Betony, New York, NY

  • Interested in supporting the Sommelier Scholarship Fund and its activities?

    Click here to donate with your credit card.

    We also accept checks - please make them out to:

    Sommelier Scholarship Fund Inc
    285 West Broadway, Suite 440
    New York, NY 10013

    Donations are tax deductible under 501c3 of the Internal Revenue Code

Partners:

We are strong believers in the need to bring more diversity and inclusivity into the wine industry. The Roots Fund has been a leading force in this regard, and we are proud to support their mission of providing pathways in the wine industry to communities of color by offering educational and mentorship opportunities to their scholars both on our trips and at our festivals.