Napa Valley College Estate Wines

08/31/2026

Our Master Mondays Sales Success Bootcamp begins next month! These workshops designed for wine professionals highlight a different facet of the industry every week.

Class Highlight: "Enhancing the Sales Pitch: Effective Selling Techniques for Winery Sales Associates" by Sharon Woschitz, October 12th, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm.

As wineries increasingly rely on direct-to-consumer sales, tasting room associates play a critical role in revenue generation and brand loyalty. This course provides structured sales training tailored specifically to the wine industry, filling a gap between traditional hospitality education and the specialized needs of winery operations.

👉Register Here: https://loom.ly/WH8Rtek

08/28/2026

Join us and Women For WineSense next Friday, September 4th for our next Friday Tasting! Our guest will be Ellie Anest, Founder and CEO of Eleven Eleven Wines.

After a childhood spent on her parents' Nebraska farm, Ellie relocated to San Diego to attend San Diego State University, where she graduated with her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Accounting. Her degree and entrepreneurial spirit lead her to a career in the finance and business sector. She spent decades working with companies ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies as a financial advisor, worked on multiple planning and marketing teams for the Taco Bell corporation, and owned and operated her own financial consulting business, Anest Financial Solutions. Ellie and her lifelong friend Carol Vassilliadis began a business partnership focused on real estate investment. In a serendipitous turn of events, their first investment was surrounded by a 3.5 acre vineyard that sparked their desire to produce their own wines. Once the perfect vineyard and winemaker (Kirk Venge) presented themselves, Eleven Eleven Wines was born. Ellie brings a collaborative, inclusive spirit to the winery, which has helped it thrive.

🎟️Reserve your spot: https://loom.ly/G8gBhAo
🍷Learn More About Ellie: https://loom.ly/yc8Dmag

08/27/2026

Deepen your relationship with wine this semester, whether you're a student building toward a degree or a community member simply curious to learn more.

VWT-241: Wine Marketing still has availability, and it's not too late to register!
This course is an introduction to how wine reaches the world — from packaging and branding to advertising and promotion. This course is a natural fit for anyone interested in the business side of the industry, from small producers to global brands. (3 units, transfers to CSU. Must be 18 or older to enroll.)

https://www.napavalley.edu/
Napa Valley College

08/26/2026

A DOUBLE FEATURE AFTERNOON IN WINE EDUCATION COMPLEX
One Friday. Two celebrations! Come spend the whole afternoon and evening with us in the Wine Education Complex on Friday, Aug. 28th

2:00 – 6:00 PM | Summer Release Celebration. Kick things off at our newly opened Donna Altes Hospitality Training Center with a tasting flight of our newest releases — including our award-winning 2025 Rosé (Gold Medal, West Coast College Wine Festival!), plus our 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Chardonnay, and 2025 Sauvignon Blanc. Purchase bottles, sip wine by the glass, tour the new space, and learn more about our Wine Club.

5:30 - 6:30 PM | Friday Tasting hosted by Women For WineSense Napa-Sonoma . Join Julie Lumgair, Winemaker, Art Nouveau — just next door at the Wine Spectator Wine Education Center for our weekly Friday Tasting Series.
Julie Lumgair is an award-winning consulting and hands-on Napa Valley winemaker who also makes her own single vineyard Art Nouveau artisan wines. Her wines span twenty two vintages and 26 varietals from ten of Napa Valley’s world class AVAs, Italy and key Sonoma AVA’s for wineries.

Two events, one unforgettable day at Napa Valley College! Come for the wine, stay for the community.

🎟️ Summer Release Celebration tickets: https://tinyurl.com/NVCsummercelebration
🎟️ Friday Tasting tickets: https://tinyurl.com/NVCfridaytastings

08/24/2026

Master Mondays have been rescheduled! Join us this fall for our Sales Success Bootcamp. Each class, you'll have the opportunity to hone your skills with a different industry professional.

Our class on Monday, October 5th will be "Cork Stories: Public Speaking and Prescence for Wine Professionals" led by Dr. Kelley Miller

Participants will learn to speak in front of an audience with clarity and authenticity. Public speaking workshops for the wine industry focus primarily on the art of telling a great story to make the people behind a brand memorable. Workshops feature opportunities to practice and play in a supportive, low-stakes environment. Every activity is rooted in a mindset of abundance; each person has a unique voice that helps us connect and broaden our perspective.

🎟️Register Here: https://loom.ly/WH8Rtek
🍷Learn More About Dr. Miller: https://loom.ly/sCwIUBQ

08/22/2026

Coming this Friday: NVC Teaching Winery's Summer Celebration!

The Napa Valley College Estate Teaching Winery invites the community to celebrate the release of our newest wines at our newly opened Hospitality Training Center on Friday, August 28th, from 2–6 PM.

Your ticket includes a tasting flight featuring our latest releases, including our 2025 Rosé — the very first rosé ever produced by the NVC Estate Teaching Winery and a Gold Medal winner at this year's West Coast College Wine Festival — alongside our 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 Chardonnay, and 2025 Sauvignon Blanc.

Beyond the tasting, guests are welcome to purchase bottles of our new releases and enjoy wine by the glass throughout the event. Take a tour of our new Hospitality Training Center, learn about the programs and student experiences shaping the Wine Education Complex, and hear firsthand how these wines make their way from vineyard to bottle in the hands of our students.

We'll also be on hand to share more about our Wine Club, for those interested in ongoing access to future releases and events.

🎟️Purchase tickets here: https://loom.ly/wraGbJ4

08/21/2026

Friday Tasting Spotlight Friday, August 28th: Julie Lumgair, Winemaker, Art Nouveau.

Join us and next Friday for a tasting with industry leader and Women for WineSense Board President Julie Lumgair. As both a fifth-generation farmer and Fortune 100 executive, Julie brings a multifaceted approach to her current work as a winemaker and consultant. With her understanding of both the science and artistry of the winemaking process as well as her focus on sustainable farming, Julie’s wines are something very special. Spanning twenty-two vintages and twenty-six varietals from world-class wineries in Napa, Somona, and Italy, they have regularly received 90+ scores and been awarded Wine Spectator’s “Producer to Watch” as well as Wine & Sprits’ “Year’s Best” and “Top Ten” lists. Julie's ongoing wine trials and experiments have been featured in industry press and featured at conferences. Julie serves on several industry boards, helping to foster excellence in winemaking and growing.

🎟️ Reserve your spot: https://loom.ly/G8gBhAo
🍷More on Julie Lumgair and Art Nouveau:https://loom.ly/Hp_5yDc

08/15/2026

🍷 MEET THE SUMMER 2026 WINEMAKER'S SELECTION 🍷

Four new releases, each one crafted by our Viticulture & Winery Technology students. Try them all at our Summer Release Celebration on Aug 28th!

🌸 2025 Rosé Our first-ever rosé release! Delightfully crisp, with notes of guava and passion fruit and a light floral bouquet — as reviewed by Program Coordinator Molly Hodgins: "It is both complex and light. It will pair well with summer sunsets and light appetizers." A Gold Medal winner at this year's West Coast College Wine Festival. 🥇

🍋 2025 Sauvignon Blanc Bright, crisp, and food-friendly — a warm-weather favorite with aromas of lemon, lime, green apple, and passionfruit, with subtle herbal and wet stone notes.

🥂 2023 Chardonnay Elegant and well-balanced, a cool‑climate wine with bright citrus and apple flavors, hints of peach, and subtle oak. It has fresh acidity, a smooth, slightly creamy texture, and a clean, lingering finish, making it both refreshing and gently rich.

🍇 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon - Structured and approachable, a true reflection of our students' growing craft.

Taste all four at our Summer Release Celebration on Friday, August 28th, or shop the full collection — with complete tasting notes — anytime on our wine shop. 🍷

🛒 Shop now: https://tinyurl.com/NVCWinery
🎟️ Summer Release Celebration tickets: https://tinyurl.com/NVCsummercelebration

08/14/2026

Friday Tasting Spotlight Friday, August 21: Priyanka French, General Manager of Napa Wine Company & Winemaker for Ghost Block

Join us and Women For WineSense Napa-Sonoma -Sonoma on Friday, August 21, for an evening with Priyanka French, an accomplished Napa Valley winemaker whose career has helped shape some of the region's most respected wine brands. As General Manager of Napa Wine Company and Winemaker for Ghost Block, Priyanka oversees winemaking and production at one of Napa Valley's pioneering custom crush facilities while crafting acclaimed wines from renowned estate vineyards in Yountville and Oakville.

A graduate of UC Davis with a master's degree in Viticulture and Enology, Priyanka's winemaking journey has spanned Napa Valley, Bordeaux, and New Zealand. She previously played a key role in rebuilding Signorello Estate following the devastating 2017 wildfires, guiding the construction of a new winery while refining the estate's flagship wines.

Known for her modern approach to winemaking rooted in sustainability and organic farming, Priyanka is also a passionate advocate for mentorship, diversity, and inclusion in the wine industry. Named to Wine Enthusiast's "Future 40" in 2023, she continues to help shape the future of Napa Valley wine through both her leadership and winemaking expertise.

🎟️ Reserve your spot: https://tinyurl.com/NVCfridaytastings
🍷More on Priyanka French & Ghost Block : https://loom.ly/Hxw2SyU

Educational wine tastings, featuring selections from top wineries, led by expert vintners in a classroom setting: NVC Wine Education Center.