Linfield University’s Evenstad Center for Wine Education was named the most innovative interdisciplinary wine studies program in America and one of the top three worldwide by “Leary’s Global Wineology: A Guide to Wine Education”, a recently published book by wine historian Charlie Leary.
“This distinction proves what we already know to be true: a Linfield wine education is world-class,” said Linfield President Miles K. Davis. “We could not be prouder of this program.”
Linfield was cited for its “interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizing theory and practice, including B.A. or B.S. degree options, plus advanced study programs in wine business, including a five-year undergraduate/master’s program in conjunction with [Ecole Superieure d’Agriculture] one of France’s top wine universities.”
“As a collaboration between Linfield’s College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Business, the Evenstad Center for Wine Education is a singular program that produces graduates well-versed in every element of the wine industry, from viticulture to international logistics,” said Tim Matz, director of the Evenstad Center for Wine Education and Domaine Serene Chair in Wine Business. “Its interdisciplinary nature is unique not just to Oregon but, we believe, in the entire United States.”
Linfield alumnus and Remy Wines owner Remy Drabkin ‘09, recently named one of Wine Enthusiast’s Future 40 and Wine Industry Advisor’s Most Inspiring People, said wine’s unique nature requires the interdisciplinary approach this program offers.
“It begins with agriculture, planting vines in the ground and along the way, it draws on art, sciences, math, engineering and the business components of manufacturing, sales, marketing and more,” she said. “You’re overseeing the entire lifespan of the product, and it has a very wide reach.”
Drabkin was involved in developing the interdisciplinary nature of the program in its early stages and said she’s proud to see how the Evenstad Center has evolved and expanded in the years since. The university began offering a wine studies minor in 2016 and followed by a major in 2018; the center itself is less than five years old.
“It’s a newer program and this recognition definitely underlines the influence and respectability of what Linfield is doing,” Drabkin said.
Today, in addition to its undergraduate and joint-graduate degree programs, Linfield offers a Master of Science in business focused in wine leadership as well as certificates in wine management and wine marketing. Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) classes, the Wine Lecture Series and the Oregon Wine History Archive are all open to the public.
Matz said he was surprised and delighted to see Linfield named alongside programs that have existed for more than a century.
“We are in the company of Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) Paris, an internationally renowned institution with a lower acceptance rate than MIT, University of Chicago and the London Business School,” he said.
Matz, who assumed his leadership role in 2021, said that Linfield’s service to Oregon’s second-largest industry will continue to grow in the years to come, including the forthcoming Acorn to Oak Wine Experience, a wine bar on McMinnville’s Third Street, which will be designed and operated by Linfield students.
“This recognition comes in large part thanks to the work of my predecessors Ellen Brittan and Gregory V. Jones, both of whom had tremendous foresight,” he said. “I’m excited to be building upon that as the Evenstad Center for Wine Education grows in scope, scale and offerings. It is central not only to the future of Linfield, but the future of the wine industry in Oregon and beyond.”
