Some of Our Scholarship Recipients
Suhayl Ramirez
Suhayl’s natural curiosity for food culture and knowledge, enthusiasm for wine, and extensive experience in consumer retail and marketing led her to apply for and become the inaugural recipient of the Urban Grape Wine Studies Award for Students of Color in 2020. As part of the award, she engaged in a year-long program of wine study alongside internships in three facets of the wine industry - hospitality, distribution, and retail. Suhayl is currently a member of the 2023-2024 cohort of the Napa Valley Vintners Leadership Program and works on various projects in the wine industry.
Beyza Yildirim
Beyza was born and raised in Turkey, lived in Istanbul for many years while she was pursuing BA in Economics. Her passion for wine comes from her father, who has a small vineyard in his hometown and makes homemade wine from native grapes. She spent her childhood in the vineyard, helped harvest and crushed grapes with her bare feet. Once she realized that wine can be studied, she made her decision to move to the US to learn more about wine. She is getting ready to finish her Wine Marketing degree at SRJC, lives in San Francisco with her cat, works as a sommelier at Cotogna and enjoys riding her bike in the city.
Sunny Adams
A Texas Native, Amy (better known as "Sunny") Adams, came from Texas to put her roots down in Oakland. Her 20+ year wine journey has nurtured several roles in the retail and restaurant industries, wine distributor sales, and, more recently, working at Donkey and Goat Winery in Berkeley as a sales associate. Her newest passion is selling wine from imported family-owned wineries with minimal intervention to select accounts throughout the East Bay and Napa. With the help of the Glancy Wine Education Scholarship, Sunny is excited to continue her WSET 2 & 3 education and graduate from the WSET Diploma Program, intending to inspire others to explore careers in the wine industry.
Karla Guzman
Karla is a passionate wine lover who has taken her passion for wine and curiosity of learning to a professional level. She earned a Sommelier Diploma at Patagonica Culinary School in her hometown of Guadalajara, México. She has worked as a winery intern in the Valle de Guadalupe, and using her Marketing degree, she has managed an Ecotourism Agency and worked for a well-known department store in Mazatlán. Fluent bilingual and basic Italian, and as a deaf sommelier, she is an expert lip reader. Karla holds a Sherry wine specialist certification by the Consejo Regulador, WSET 2, and is currently working in the written portion of the WSET 3. Karla aspires to work in the Mexican wine industry as a wine consultant and educator to contribute to the grow of the wine culture in her country.
Tanya Ho-Shue
Tanya was born in Kingston, Jamaica and moved to the US at 18. Although she has an MBA and spent most of her working life in the financial services industry, she has always had a passion for wine and hoped one day to get the opportunity to explore that further. That chance came in 2016 when she moved to the Bay Area and started working at San Francisco Wine School as the Student Relations and Office Manager. Tanya keeps the wheels turning on the fast SFWS train, managing day to day classes, event operations and student communications. Over the past 6 years, Tanya has successfully assisted and guided students in pursuing their educations plans and goals and has herself, with the assistance of the GWEF, attained several wine credentials namely the CWAS, CSW and WSET Level 3, with honors and merit.
Nicholas Madrona
Nicholas grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area working in restaurants from the age of 17 to the present. Now 27, he has a huge passion for food and especially beverage. He plans to use his scholarship to advance his wine knowledge and aid him in working in the top restaurants in San Francisco. He eventually hopes to own his own restaurant group. In his free he enjoys being active and outside, trying new restaurants, and traveling!
Justin Romero
Originally from Coachella, CA Justin has spent the last five years as a wine steward in San Francisco for landmark bars like Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant and Terroir. Justin is also enrolled in City College of San Francisco to pursue a career in marketing. Working in the wine industry has exposed Justin to hundreds and hundreds of different wines from around the world. Eventually Justin hopes to utilize his experience and education to become a marketing manager in the food and beverage industry.
Michelle Rodriguez
For the last 10 years, Michelle has been working in the hospitality industry in different countries in Central America and Panama. From 2014 to 2016 she worked as a wine director for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in El Salvador and Panama, and was part of the operations staff at Ruby Tuesday’s and Tony Roma’s in her hometown. In 2017 she decided to start her own company “The Winery” dedicated to creating wine occasions and education experiences. In July 2021 she moved to Spain to continue her education on Spanish Wines with different wine programs in Madrid. Michelle hopes to open a Wine & Gastronomy School in her hometown to continue to help others to learn and grow in the industry of hospitality.
Amy Bess Cook
Amy Bess Cook is the founder of Woman-Owned Wineries, a startup endeavor that includes a comprehensive winery directory, consumer wine club, and storytelling project. Over the past decade, Amy Bess has participated in nearly every aspect of winery life—from communications strategy to harvest work—allowing her to closely study the inner workings of the industry. Along the way, she launched a startup wine brand that raised funds for community organizations. Woman-Owned Wineries has been featured in The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, Wine Enthusiast, Forbes, and beyond. For her work raising consciousness in the industry, Amy Bess was named “Wine Person of the Year” by Imbibe Magazine.
Oceano Ordonez
Oceano, a native of Mexico City first learned to appreciate wine at a young age when his grandfather would have him taste Spanish and French wines during family Sunday dinners. Over a decade later a twist of fate had him start all over again, working his way back up this time via the restaurant industry. In 2018 he began volunteering to help with the harvest, grape sorting, punch-downs, sample tastings, and bottling, which would soon lead to the creation of his own wine label, Ouroboros Wines. In 2021 he was hired and quickly promoted at Le Fantastique. By the following summer, he was running the wine program, while simultaneously earning passing WSET 2 and 3 with distinction.
Albert Beltran
Albert's narrative unfolds against the backdrop of three transformative years at the Saint Francis Yacht Club, where his journey of self-discovery began. Albert achieved the title of Certified Sommelier at the age of 22, a testament to his dedication. Hailing from the sun-kissed landscapes of Southern California, Albert is currently immersed in the rigorous study for the Advanced Sommelier exam, shaping his story within the intricate world of wine and spirits.
Heather Jovanelli
Heather Jovanelli is an artist, writer, and teacher originally hailing from Bangor, Maine. Having her first glass of merlot on a cold winter night, she was immediately spellbound by the poetic beauty of the crimson hue that spun in her glass. She resolved to unravel the ancient story of wines ever since that fateful night. Moving to Oakland, CA in 2006, she won first place at a blind taste test to benefit Oakland’s Youth Radio. Since then, she has been exploring the California wine regions and endeavoring to learn the nuances of both old and new world varietals. She also writes about wine and creates custom art and design along the way.
Jenny Shirey
Jenny Shirey started her wine education by passing the Level 1 CMS Examination in 2021 after working as a web and software designer since 2005. As a self-employed business owner, Jenny hopes to transition her design, teaching, and entrepreneurship skills to the world of wine. Jenny has a California Wine Appellation Specialist certificate with honors and a Beverage Specialist certificate, and hosts educational wine tastings at Flatiron Wines in San Francisco. You’ll often find her visiting wineries throughout California with her partner and their greyhound Lambrusco.
Gina Mariko Rosales
Gina is an event enthusiast and entrepreneur who discovered her love of wine early in her hospitality career. Drinking wine is a spiritual experience for Gina, as there's nothing like a beautiful glass of red wine to make you feel rooted, grounded, and connected with the earth. Born and raised in the Bay Area with Filipino and Japanese cultural roots, Gina is the CEO of Make it Mariko, an events company run by all women of color. She is working on opening her first event venue & winery with the goal of creating a safe space for people of color to enjoy delicious wine, food, and community, while also finding peace and solitude from the busy city life.
Tonya Pitts
Tonya Pitts has been in the food and beverage industry for over 20 years. She spent her early career working the floor at Judy Rogers’ Zuni Restaurant and Jeremiah Towers’ Stars Restaurant. She is currently the wine director at One Market restaurant in San Francisco. Tonya has been featured in Wine & Spirits Magazine, Tasting Panel, and numerous news and industry publications. She is also a judge for the San Francisco International Wine Competition and is a tasting panelist for Wine and Spirits Magazine. Recently, Tonya was awarded the Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Award for Best Sommelier/Wine Director 2022. Tonya is currently pursuing wine studies with the Court of Master Sommeliers and continues to educate herself and others on the world of wine.
Gonzalo Adolfo Rios
Gonzalo was born and raised in Illinois to Bolivian parents who always made sure even as a child he had a splash at family gatherings. Shortly after college he took a job as a barista, initiating his widespread love for all beverages and their preparation. Some years later while working at a casual dining establishment he was exposed to fine wines and spirits and he has never looked back since. Working primarily as a server and occasional bar manager and wine buyer, he has regularly sought to further his knowledge through independent study as well as structured wine courses and workshops. He currently lives in Berkeley and works at Benchmark Pizzeria in nearby Kensington.
Chris Kelishes
Chris grew up in Southern California and was raised by parents who appreciated a quality glass of wine along with a well-crafted meal. Casual wine drinking in his 20s and early 30s turned into a home winemaking hobby in 2013 and then a professional interest in 2016 when he started working at an urban winery in San Diego. In 2019, he expanded his knowledge by passing the WSET level 2 course. A move to the Bay Area and a job at a Sausalito wine bar in 2021 solidified his dedication to the impressive California wine industry. Until he can taste through Spain, Argentina, Chile, and Italy hopefully in the next couple of years, he “travels” through drinking delicious wines from his favorite regions.
Jodi Sundermeier
Jodi grew up in Arkansas after college eventually found her dream job as a hotel concierge, where she naturally gravitated to wine and food. She earned the distinction of being a Les Clefs d'Or Concierge and passed her Intro Sommelier Course with the Court of Master Sommeliers, after which she moved west to become the Chef Concierge at the Rosewood Sandhill hotel in Menlo Park where she, like so many others, lost her job during the pandemic. Drawn to continue her wine studies, she used her scholarship funds to become a Certified Specialist of Wine, and Certified Sommelier. She now works at Thomas Fogarty winery as well as being the sommelier for The BottleShop in Redwood City.
Shana White
Shana, a chef born and raised in California, developed a love for Nicaraguan and soul food cooking at a young age and was inspired by the great women in her family. She started out as a chef and decided after many years it was time to learn something that will add to her skills. She decided that an interest in wine can be great for her in the long run. Aside from cooking she is also a community activist who gives to back to her community by feeding them and also working with different non-profits. She is hoping that by learning the basics about wines, she will see where this new path can lead her.
Kerrie Leever
Kerri grew up in the Midwest and received a Double B.S. from Indiana University. She moved to Southern California in the late 90’s where she worked as a sales manager. After taking some time off to raise her 2 children, Kerri started working part time in a wine shop. Discovering a love of wine, she pursued many classes to earn certifications in Californian, Italian, and French wine as well as earning her entry Sommelier Certificate. Today, Kerri is the General Manager and Wine Buyer for the Half Moon Bay Wine and Cheese Co., where she enjoys teaching customers more about wine and helping them find the perfect bottle for any occasion.
Stephanie Mitchell
Stephanie is a native Californian who followed in her mother’s footsteps into the hospitality industry, starting as a restaurant hostess at the age of 19. At 23 she was offered the position of wine director which she held for 4 years. After finishing her degree in Anthropology at Sonoma State University she decided that a career in the wine industry encapsulated all her interests. COVID has changed so many lives including hers. Becoming a new mother during the crisis and developing a disability have caused her to take a step back from her career as a portfolio specialist from a prominent importer. She has used this time to obtain the WSET level 3 award in wines and is currently pursuing her Diploma. She is also focused on obtaining the Guild of Sommeliers Spanish Wine Specialist certification. Her goal is to become a Master of Wine and to help shape the future of wine education in the United States.
Christian Medina
Cristian graduated from the University Cristobal Colon in 2004 with a degree in hospitality. He decided to move his family from their hometown of Veracruz, Mexico to the United States in 2015, because he wanted to apply his schooling to the restaurant industry. He immediately began working at Donato Enoteca, a restaurant known for regional Italian dishes as well as highly-rated Italian wines. He pursued the CMS Introductory level in 2017, and he is now pursuing his CMS Certification. His goal is to found and own a restaurant group that specializes in traditional coastal Mexican cuisine, pairing with fine wines from all over the world. Cristian believes that hospitality is more than good food and wine. Hospitality is about caring for the people he serves and works with.
Pedro Wilson
Pedro Wilson, Brazilian, worked in the hospitality industry in London. After returning to his country, he created in 2019 a small wine trade in his city Uberlândia, southeastern Brazil. In addition, he developed a wine consultancy for some local restaurants and businesses. On his Instagram account, @atacadaodovinho, he teaches fundamental concepts to Brazilians starting in the wine world. He holds WSET 1 and 2 certificates and aims to become a Master Sommelier and work in the US wine market. He believes in the qualification of service provision as a way to democratize and make wine more accessible to consumers.
Louise Olivares
Louise Olivares has over 15 years as a sales and marketing professional in the high-tech world. In 2012, she decided to pivot and explore a wine career and her first job in the industry was in wine sales working for wine brokers in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a Certified Sommelier and was recently hired as a sommelier for Solage, an Auberge Resorts property in Calistoga. During the Covid lockdown in 2021 she completed the French Wine Scholar, Spanish Wine Scholar, and California Wine Appellation Specialist program through San Francisco Wine School. In 2022, Louise looks forward to working on the CSW and the Italian Wine Scholar programs.
Martin Ladera
Born in San Martin, Peru, Martin moved to Japan when he was 11. This move marked the beginnings of his exploration and later passion for cultural and national cuisines. When he moved to California in 2000, he began part time work at many restaurants while attending college to learn English. His fascination and interest in wine developed over the course of many day trips to Napa Valley, Lodi, and Sonoma. In 2012, Martin joined MarketBar in the San Francisco Ferry Building as a server and later became lead trainer. He became manager of MarketBar in 2017, and was promoted to assistant general manager and beverage purchasing manager which included becoming the wine director in 2018. Martin hopes to obtain his Sommelier Certification one day, and dreams of highlighting the wonderful world of wine from his native Peru.
Lynn Dowdell
Lynn Dowdell is a wine curator and consultant with Vin Collective LLC. Her love for wine prompted her to want to share wine by hosting wine tasting experiences in the Tampa Bay Area. Lynn is also an ambassador and chapter president with Black Girls Wine Society, where she curates social and educational events for ladies in the society. She earned her WSET Level 1 Award and is completing a Certificate in Women’s Entrepreneurship at eCornell. Lynn aspires to become a face for wine country by speaking, tasting, educating and immersing others in the world of wine.
Anna Maria Giambanco DiPietro
Anna Maria is a writer based in Santa Barbara County, California. With her WSET Level 2 with distinction certificate in tow, she writes for Edible Santa Barbara, Wine Enthusiast, the American Wine Society Journal, Wine Country This Month, and additional publications focusing on the wine and food scene. Drawing from her experience as a beauty and wellness professional, plant-based cook, and graphic artist, she aims to create approachable, educational content. You'll likely find her tucked away amongst the vines sipping sparkling wine while planning her next food pairing..
DJ Manning
DJ Manning, known as MzDJ to most, is an Afro-Asian-Indigenous-Latina welder turned Wine professional. She is the owner/creator of Melanated Vines, a platform that features Black owned wines, spirits and premium cigars. She is the Marketing Associate and Wine Brand Ambassador for Chapter 38 Wine, which has traditional and infused wine variations. MzDJ is also the Member Services Concierge and in-house Wine Educator for the renowned Black Girls Wine Society, a social club that caters to the Black Woman's experience with wine and in wine spaces.
Anthony Hernandez
Anthony, the son an Apache Mom and Mexican Dad, grew up in El Paso Texas. He spent his childhood working with his father tending to the family ranch and garden where they cultivated most of the food they ate. Anthony spent his mid 20’s and 30’s pursuing his passion for music; a lifestyle that bartending allowed. It wasn’t until a few years after arriving in California that he realized how much that time spent with his father seeded his passion for food and wine. In 2011 Anthony started volunteering with 18Reasons and Good Food Foundation. That same year Anthony met Foreign Cinema’s Sommelier, Zach Pace, while attending a Summer Sommelier Intensive. During the pandemic, Anthony started researching wine schools and David Glancy’s story really resonated with him.
Jamie Knee
Jamie is a Wine Consultant for several Santa Barbara wineries. Additionally, she hosts wine experiences, wine tours and tastings across the state, as well as educating guests at Santa Ynez Valley wineries. In 2020 she launched the annual “California Central Coast Wine Day”, observed the 4th Sunday in October. Jamie loves to learn about wine and wine regions and has many wine credentials to her name including California Wine Appellation Specialist, Certified Specialist of Wine, Wine Spirits Education Trust (WSET), and Court of Master Sommelier Level 1, among many others. Jamie writes for her website Petite Wine Traveler and has contributed to several well-known wine publications, as well as judging for various wine competitions.
Alex Hawes
Alex grew up in Atascadero, CA, and he attended CSUMB in Monterey in 2004. His restaurant career started there at Bubba Gump’s on Cannery Row, where he made lifelong friends and learned how to work fast. After moving to San Francisco to continue his education at SFSU, he worked at EOS Wine Bar, Presidio Café, and Morton’s Steakhouse before ending up at Mourad, where the education in wine, the culinary arts, and service there challenged him and stoked his ambition to become a sommelier. Since October 2019, Alex has worked at Fiorella, what he says is the most enjoyable job in his career.
Chelle Huang
Coming from Taiwan to the US in 2004, Chelle began discovering many delicious wines and the beauty of California’s extensive wine regions. Her interest in wine grew from passionate hobby to necessity over the past 10 years as Chelle worked her way up to flight purser at Cathay Pacific, a position that can only be attained by exceptional customer service. The unfortunate pause in travel due to COVID-19 has given Chelle the time to embark upon more advanced studies of the wine. Whether she returns to the airlines, restaurants, or some other wine-related arena, she believes her wine education will be of great benefit.
Jennie Kaplan Woodson
After living in Sonoma Wine Country and working in hospitality for the past 6 years, Jennie's love of wine was imminent. It wasn't until a layoff due to Covid-19 that she would get to experience this love of wine as a career. She has lived up and down the state of California, so beginning a career at a boutique wine shop in Sausalito that was specifically focused on boutique, small production, California wine was the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of the wine industry. Working as a Tasting Room Associate has opened her eyes to many different varietals and has expanded her knowledge of California wine. She is excited to continue to expand her knowledge of wine with the WSET II and WSET III certifications.
Taylor Morgan
Taylor is an experienced and educated Sommelier who uprooted her Florida life to follow her dream of working for a Napa winery. Survivor of wine harvest 2018 and a forklift operator extraordinaire, Taylor continues to grow her career in wine here in California with her dog, Pinot. Currently working as the wine buyer for a local Sausalito wine shop, Taylor specializes in small production CA wineries and DTC marketing. With hopes to take her career to the next level, Taylor wants to become an expert in everything wine.
Eddie Pasternak
In 2010, after a career as both a professional jazz guitarist and USPTA Elite Pro tennis instructor, Eddie donned a third har: as a wine distributor and wine steward. Holding a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Golden Gate University, Eddie has explored the wine regions of France, Italy, Spain, Austria and South Africa, and now works as a wine steward at Costco. Eddie encourages Costco members to travel the world every night by selecting wines representative of diverse regions, and is working to expand his toolbox of wine knowledge to help others enjoy the diversity of what the wine world has to offer.
Patrick Yuan
Patrick has been passionate about wine since moving to San Francisco in 2012 and taking weekend trips to wine country with his friends. He believes that good wine can stimulate thoughts and create shared experiences. He currently resides with his partner in San Francisco and enjoys traveling (pre-pandemic), gastronomy, and of course, enjoying a glass of wine with friends.
Allie Basker
Allie is a native Californian whose love of wine dates back to family wine tasting trips in the Sierra Foothills. While relatively new to the wine industry, having spent just shy of a year working at a boutique winery in Saratoga pre-COVID, Allie has been cultivating a love of wine and hospitality for several years. She’s spent years producing special events in both the tech and non-profit sectors, where beautiful wine and wineries are often a key element of the overall experience. As a former Teach For America corps member, Allie has a love of teaching that she believes may make her a great fit to be a wine educator in the future.
Cynthia Bloebaum
Cynthia Bloebaum, also known as Chef Cynthia B, has been a culinary and wine professional in the Bay Area for over 35 years. Bloebaum has specialized in the symbiosis of food and wine since taking wine classes at UC Berkeley Extension in 1995. She then went on to teach classes there on Food and Wine Pairing, Regional Foods and Wines of France, and Regional Foods and Wines of Spain. Chef Cynthia was the consulting chef for TasteVin in San Carlos and started a catering company in 2004, specializing in wine dinners along with regional epicurean education. Bloebaum has her WSET certification and wants to continue her lifelong study and appreciation of wine.
Keith Foreman
Keith’s love for wine began when he discovered the mustard flowers that cover the Napa Valley floor in the springtime. He grew up in San Diego and has worked in a number of different fields but deep down he always knew that food and wine were his passions. Keith joined the Cowboy Star Restaurant and Butcher Shop team in 2016 as a bartender where he was ultimately promoted to the Wine Director position in 2017. Keith has passed the Certified Sommelier exam through the Court of Master Sommeliers and is current preparing to attend the Advanced Sommelier Course when testing returns. When Keith is not enjoying himself in the world of wine, he can be found cycling or practicing his new hobby, the violin.
Mqinisi “Oscar” Mpofu
Oscar’s passion for wine can be traced back to 2004, when he was a waiter in a 4-star Thai restaurant in South Africa. They had new wine on the list called “The Chocolate Block” and Oscar sold it “like hot cakes.” The wine maker Marc Kent heard about its popularity, made contact and offered Oscar a position to run his wine tasting room, but Oscar was unable to accept for personal reasons. Years later, while working for IBM years later Oscar started his studies with the Capewine Academy. In August 2019 he traveled to Seattle to join Norwegian cruise lines as a Wine Steward and is now back in South Africa due to the pandemic. He continues with his wine studies and has recently obtained his certificate with the Capewine Academy.
Bogdan Tanasa
Bogdan was born in Romania where he would often accompany his grandparents, who made their own wine, to work in the vineyards from pruning in the spring to harvest in the fall. Those times he credits with starting his passion for wine. He began a career in the hospitality industry after high school, working in northern Italy and Greece, eventually returning home to get a degree in Hospitality Management and a degree in European Studies and International Relationships. He moved to the US in 2009 and began his wine education and sommelier studies in 2011, while working in restaurants in Chicago, and then later in San Diego, where he now works at Herb and Wood. As a multiple scholarship recipient he has completed a number of certification courses and is working currently on his CWS.
Elaine Thap
An artist and sommelier working in Beverly Hills, Elaine Thap enjoys connecting over wine and fine art. Originally from Massachusetts, she is a first generation Cambodian American. While obtaining a bachelor of fine arts degree from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Elaine has worked in and out of many restaurants to support herself. She loves helping clients select thoughtful gifts. As a wine professional, she hopes to bring more BIPOC inclusivity and sustainable community to the wine world.
Kristie Tacey
Kristie Tacey, winemaker and founder of Tessier Winery, is a scientist turned winemaker. Tessier is the result of Kristie’s passion for the art and science of winemaking. She began handcrafting small lots of Pinot Noir and has added Grenache, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Gamay Noir, Riesling, Syrah and Mourvedre. Kristie’s appreciation of French wines has shaped her winemaking choices.
Lily Yu
Lily Yu began her wine journey when she was director of an art gallery in Beverly Hills. Lily began taking classes at Learn About Wine in Los Angeles. During the pandemic in 2020 a GWEF scholarship gave Lily the opportunity to do a deep dive into her wine studies and led to her passing the WSET 3, CSW, and CWAS exams. Now Lily is working as a sommelier at California Wine Merchant and a Junior Somm at Cotogna in San Francisco, a position that also includes working the cellar at the 3 Michelin Star restaurant Quince.
Maria Dempsey
Maria Dempsey is a Wine Professional and Enthusiast and also a veteran in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. She worked as a Wine Educator, at Chimney Rock for almost 4 years as her side job, while also working in sales full time for the Park Central Hotel San Francisco. She has also worked for several 4- and 5-star hotels in San Francisco. Once the hotel industry shifted dramatically in 2020, she pivoted her focus to work on her passion in the wine industry. She is currently working as a Wine Educator at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, as well as Director of Hospitality and Events for Gen7 Wines Napa. She recently completed the CSW through San Francisco Wine School and is currently working on her Certified Sommelier and WSET to expand her knowledge and passion for the industry.
Tina Sabouri
As a first-generation Iranian-America, Tina was shown at a young age the value of flavors, traditions, and hospitality. After several years of leading adventure tours throughout the country, she found herself in San Diego, where she helped to open up one of the best sushi restaurants in down, and where for the past four years she has been General Manager and Sommelier. Tina enjoys being involved in the diverse and lively San Diego wine community, including volunteering for the annual SommCon event. Her current certifications for wine include Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers as well as WSET 2.
Huy Truong
Huy’s journey into wine began in his mom's kitchen and rapidly developed into a passion. He decided to leave Vietnam in mid-2019 to pursue an increased knowledge of wine in America. An opportunity suddenly arose, and he became a lead intern at the American Fine Wine Competition. Truong believes this is a life-changing experience where he can expose himself to the world of wine through tasting and expanding his professional relationships. He usually compares wine to a sleeping beauty: “Although bottles of wine can captivate people, opening it is the moment magic happens.” His dream is to become the first Master of Sommelier in Vietnam.
Jamie Apuna
A trip through California wine country determined the course of Jamie’s life: she knew she had to become a sommelier. She refined her craft while working her way up from bar back to sommelier at Bay Area restaurants, including Coi, Lazy Bear, and In Situ. Certified through the Court of Master Sommeliers - at which David Glancy proctored her exam! - Jamie is currently a WSET Diploma candidate and plans to complete both French Wine Scholar certification and Wine Educator certification through the Society of Wine Educators. Based in Portland, Oregon, Jamie’s goal is to work at a vineyard with an in-house restaurant to connect the vine-to-table experience for clients. She would also love to teach the interwoven history of wine and art to highlight compelling stories beyond the glass. Jamie is relatively new to the Pacific Northwest and is eager to utilize part of her scholarship for the SFWS NWAS course.
Marcus Allen Delira
Marcus was born and raised in Soledad, California in the heart of Monterey County. Currently a tasting room associate for Scheid Family Wines in Carmel, Marcus is also enrolled at Monterey Peninsula College to pursue a degree in hospitality with an emphasis on wine education. Marcus has been in the industry for about a year and absolutely loves learning and educating others about wine. Eventually, Marcus would love to become a wine distributor and/or wine ambassador in the future. Marcus hopes to grow more in the wine industry and appreciates the help of the San Francisco Wine School in taking him to the next level in his career.
Yifei Wang
Yifie “Alfie” Wang is proudly obsessed with all things food and wine-related and this comes through as staff sommelier at Compline Wine Bar in Napa. Alfie holds a Master’s in Wine Business from Sonoma State University as well as Sommelier Certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Alfie plans to pursue French Wine Scholar certification while preparing for the Advanced Sommelier Certification to best be able to enhance the experience for Compline guests.
Sheena Nueva
Currently a sommelier in a Napa Valley restaurant, Sheena completed a Bachelor’s in Psychology before switching gears and dedicating her profession to wine. She’s been in the hospitality industry for 12 years and completed a Master’s in Wine & Spirits Management through Kedge University in Bordeaux in 2019. Sheena hopes to work her way up to wine director and eventually own her own shop and considered the Glancy Wine Education scholarship an important step towards her dreams.
Megan Henderson
Megan Henderson has worked in the Bay Area service industry for 14 years after graduating from culinary school in 2007. Since then, her passion for hospitality, food and wine has only grown with her progress through the WSET certification programs. She is currently working towards completing the WSET Diploma and, from there, will move forward with the Master of Wine program. With this scholarship, Megan hopes to hone her knowledge and skill set to become a highly regarded educator in the Bay Area. She plans to continue to focus on education, supporting women in the wine industry and further develop the community she feels lucky to be part of.
Marius Frangu
Wine is, in a sense, a birthright for Marius. He grew up around vineyards and helped his father make wine for as long as he can remember. Wine was a point of connection for his family and he recalls family gatherings around tastings and explorations. His father’s love of wine was a major influence on his earlier years and he dreams of pursuing the tradition of making wine at home that was lost after his father passed away. Marius’s professional life has revolved around wine as well, including a range of hospitality jobs. After working in corporate dining for several years, Marius decided to formalize his studies through San Francisco Wine School. Despite the challenges that covid-19 has posed across the service industry, Marius saw it as an opportunity to learn more about wine as well as the administrative side of hospitality. He is very grateful for the honor to have the scholarship and he would like to thank Glancy Wine Education Foundation, WIne Spectator, San Francisco School Wine School and all the people and institutions involved.
Emilie Lariviere
Originally hailing from small town Vermont, Emilie learned the craft of small batch fruit wine that quickly turned from hobby to passion. Determined to launch a career in wine, she moved across the country in 2018 with only her dog Bailey and whatever she could fit in her car. She landed in Southern California and worked in Temecula to study at wineries there. She has since become a certified sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers and is working towards WSET Level III certification while working at A Hidden Vine in Mission Viejo, California.
Lauren Sopjes
Lauren is a 42-year-old mother to 4 boys and works in a family business owned by her mother-in-law. She has always dreamed of running her own business, and in particular, in the world of wine. For years she has talked about opening up her own wine bar, but has never done anything about it until a friend encouraged her to take the first step and get a proper wine education. COVID-19 brought with it hardships for her family, but it felt like the right time to take a chance and actually do something about following her dream. She’s extremely excited for the opportunity to do so.
Monica Townsend
Monica Townsend is currently a Sommelier for Maison Nico in San Francisco and is actively pursuing her Advanced Sommelier Certification with the Court of Master Sommeliers. Towards that pursuit, she has focused her attention on wine education and continues to be proactive in her studies. She credits an ongoing passion for learning to her numerous teachers and mentors over her 18-year career – especially, the close relationship with her Grandparents who owned the first grocery store in East Downtown Houston. As a scholarship recipient, she intends to strengthen her knowledge of French and California wines, which are the curated focus of Maison Nico's retail wine shop.
Ingrid E. Eyen
Ingrid Elizabeth Eyen is a Certified Specialist of Wine based in Sonoma County, CA. For 15 years, Ingrid toured full-time as a professional singer-songwriter with various folk/Americana bands. Although her professional wine journey only began in 2019, Ingrid has already become a CSW as well as California Wine Appellation Specialist (CWAS), and Italian Wine Scholar (IWS) through the San Francisco Wine School. With the support of the Glancy Wine Education Fund, she was able to earn these crucial wine credentials and go on to pass every exam with high honors. Her primary focus is exploring the art and alchemy of food & wine pairing. She currently works as a Virtual Tasting Host with In Good Taste Wines.
Barbara McGrath
Barbara has worked in the beverage field for the past 10 years after the industry as a promotional model. She has worked as a bartender, Assistant Sommelier and as a Multicultural Marketing Manager for a wine and spirits distributor. Her most recent position was working as an On-Premise Brand Manager for Anheuser-Busch. Due to COVID-19 she is now seeking new opportunities and will use her scholarship to pursue her passion for wine and deepen her knowledge in preparation for future roles in the wine industry.
Kelly M. Desmore
With over 3 decades of work in hospitality and entertainment, Kelly M. Desmore has worked in many cultural areas ranging from intimate gatherings to large events. Her family has generations in California history and European culinary heritage. For the past several years, Kelly has served as Server/Bartender for Private Member Events at Los Altos Golf & Country Club. Concurrently, she has worked as Wine Consultant for Flow Wine Group where she has been able to align herself with classic and upcoming wine companies locally and around the world. Kelly is eager to continue her wine pursuits with California Wine Appellation Specialist certification in 2021.
Caryn Liau
Caryn Liau, a Singapore native, moved to San Francisco to pursue her culinary career. She was the first POC Sous Chef and Kitchen Manager at one of San Francisco’s largest restaurants, Foreign Cinema. Caryn established a relationship with Chef David Golovin as a day prep lead at Dear Inga. As the Head Chef of Jolene’s Bar and Restaurant, Caryn supported a strong kitchen staff of trans and queer POC in a queer inclusive space. Caryn finds comfort in cooking as it reminds her of the times she would spend in the kitchen with her pillar of support, her grandmother. As her grandmother taught her she continues to reciprocate kindness and motivates her team to develop their strengths and value their accomplishments. Caryn’s favorite hobbies include eating, photography and tasting wines from different vineyards.
“The Glancy Wine Foundation is extremely important as it gives people interested in getting into the industry educational opportunities that they otherwise would not have access to. Master Somms David Glancy and Catherine Fallis are fabulous, and I always learn from them and appreciate their passion for sharing their knowledge and experience.”
Bridget Cheslock, 2017 GWEF Scholarship Winner