Domaine Serene Winery, founded by Grace and Ken Evenstad, is donating $500,000 to Linfield College to increase diversity in the wine industry. The gift will establish an endowed scholarship for underrepresented populations in the college’s wine studies program, allowing more students to receive a top-rated wine education at an affordable cost.
“Our entire team is immensely pleased to contribute toward Linfield’s scholarship fund in this dedicated and meaningful way,” said Ryan Harris, president of Domaine Serene Winery. “It is an expression of our longstanding commitment toward enriching the diversity of the winemaking field and supporting underrepresented communities, and a heartfelt way for us to put our values into action.”
The Evenstads are longtime supporters of Linfield College, giving $6 million in 2018 to establish the Evenstad Center for Wine Education and previously hosting cooperative on-site educational programs at the winery in Dundee and study abroad trips for Linfield students at the Evenstad’s French winery, Château de la Crée in Burgundy.
“The Evenstads have been generous donors to Linfield, allowing us to greatly expand the wine education program and to include the Evenstad Wine Laboratory as part of our new science building,” said Linfield President Miles K. Davis. “Their new donation provides for an endowed scholarship for underrepresented minorities, which is critically important. We are grateful for the Evenstads generosity and look forward to being able to deploy these new financial resources to help our students, especially in these difficult times.”
The Evenstad Center for Wine Education at Linfield integrates numerous wine education programs and activities into academic and experiential learning for student and adult learners. It currently offers an academic major and minor in wine studies, as well as certificate programs in wine management and wine marketing and Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) courses. Linfield’s Wine Studies Program also offers a five-year cooperative program with Ecole Superieure d’Agriculture in Angers, France, in which students earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree upon completion.
Founded in 1858, Linfield is a four-year independent college with campuses in McMinnville and Portland. Twenty-five percent of Linfield students are first-generation college students, and more than one-third are U.S. students of color. The U.S. State Department honored Linfield for being Oregon’s top producer of Fulbright Scholars in 2017-18.
