By Scott Weybright, CAHNRS

When then-18-year-old Andrew Gerow packed his car to drive from his home in Michigan to start at 午夜剧场, he knew what he wanted from his education.

Gerow said he visited the before enrolling and 鈥淚 knew immediately that I wanted to attend WSU.鈥濃�淚鈥檝e always loved anything to do with art and science,鈥� said the Grand Rapids, Michigan native. 鈥淚 literally stumbled upon听听online, and I couldn鈥檛 get it out of my head.鈥�

Three years later, Gerow, who will graduate in December 2020, has been named the Wine Spectator Wine Science Student of the Year.

鈥淚 was shocked when Dr. Henick-Kling told me,鈥� Gerow said. 鈥淭hat was a great Zoom call because they tricked me, saying that they wanted to talk about my Blended Learning projects.鈥�

Thomas Henick-Kling is the director of WSU鈥檚 Viticulture and Enology program.

Blended Learning is the program鈥檚 hands-on winemaking class that culminates in the production of commercial wines made by students. It has been Gerow鈥檚 favorite class so far during his time at WSU.

鈥淭he discussions about wine varieties, tasting different varieties to see what we like and what we don鈥檛, then talking about how to produce what we want, it has been fantastic,鈥� Gerow said. 鈥淚 was involved in four projects, and two will go to market in the near future.鈥�

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the timeline for Blended Learning releases hasn鈥檛 been determined yet. But when they do come out, Gerow will have two Rieslings and a ros茅 on his wine resume.

鈥淚鈥檓 really happy with the results,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he timing is off, they were supposed to be bottled a few weeks ago, but they will eventually be available.鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 an impressive student,鈥� Henick-Kling said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 graduating in three and a half years, and will make great contributions to our industry.鈥滸erow earned the student of the year honor, and corresponding scholarship, through his high academic achievement, his initiative and engagement with other students in Blended Learning, and his great follow-up work with the partner wineries, Henick-Kling said.

Gerow has worked in three wineries (two in Washington, one in Traverse City, Michigan), and two vineyards. He鈥檚 spent time in tasting rooms pouring and selling wine, and in the cellar.

His goal is to gain international experience after graduating by working in Australia or New Zealand.

After getting some more hands-on experience, he also plans to attend graduate school to further his formal wine education.

鈥淢y ultimate goal is to own a medium-sized estate winery one day,鈥� Gerow said. 鈥淭here is so much to learn when it comes to wine and winemaking. The balance between art and science is incredibly addicting and I can鈥檛 wait to keep learning.鈥�

午夜剧场 the Wine Spectator Scholarship Program

The Wine Spectator Scholarship Program was developed in 2018 thanks to a generous contribution from the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation.听 Each year, $99,000 is awarded to outstanding V&E students. Congratulations to this year scholars:

Wine Spectator Student of the Year

• Andrew Gerow

Wine Spectator Undergraduate Scholars

• Megan Meharg
• Jordan Culpepper
• Ava Pearson
• Autumn Miller
• Erin Lopez
• Christopher Gutierrez
• Bayli Picker
• Dalia Montero
• Yaritza Gomez
• Michael Nunnelee

Wine Spectator Graduate Fellows听听听听听听听听听

• Lindsey Kornowske
• Bailey Hallwachs

Gratitude and humility: Those traits don鈥檛 often define a 4.0 GPA student who has created his own blockbuster wine, and who holds the honorific of Wine Spectator Student of the Year. But those are precisely the traits that describe Noel Perez (鈥�20).

A first-generation college student and the middle-child of three, Noel grew up learning the twin values of hard work and education in Washington鈥檚 Walla Walla valley.

鈥淎griculture has always been part of my life,鈥� Perez said. 鈥淲hen I was a kid I would go with my parents to go pick apples, onions, asparagus, and cherries.鈥�

His first foray into the wine-making business began shortly after high school in a facility that processed some 24,000 tons of grapes annually. He loved every part of the job, and could have easily made a comfortable living in that part of the industry.

But when his father passed away, Perez knew he had to go back to school. Having completed the College Cellars program at Walla Walla Community College as the youngest in his class, Perez entered WSU鈥檚 Viticulture & Enology Program in 2017.

鈥淓ducation was a way to honor all the hard work my father and family had instilled in me,鈥� he said.

Unlike most people who enter the wine industry at an older age鈥攐ften as a second career, or following a military deployment鈥擯erez quickly discovered that his years of hands-on experience afforded him the benefit of perspective.

鈥淚 did the backwards path,鈥� he joked. 鈥淚f you want to get into the wine making industry,鈥� he added, 鈥済o do a harvest first, before you step into a school. Then you鈥檒l know if it鈥檚 in your heart or not. The job is far more than wine tasting. There is a lot of blue-collar work involved.鈥�

Starting the V&E Program, Perez immediately showed his academic prowess, winning scholarships such as the Walter J. Clore听scholarship from the Washington Wine Industry Foundation. His love for academics, he said, comes from his mother.

鈥淢y mom always said, 鈥楴o matter what you do in life, be educated. Push through.鈥欌��

Honoring his mother鈥檚 charge, Perez set out on his most ambitious project yet: making his own wine听in WSU鈥檚 Blended Learning class, taught by Thomas Henick-Kling, professor and Director of the V&E Program.

鈥淚 wanted to make something different,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, I proposed making a Sangiovese for the school before I graduated. I couldn鈥檛 let myself leave here without doing that.鈥�

Settling on that particular wine was significant because no other student in WSU鈥檚 V&E Program had yet made it.

鈥淣oel鈥檚 Sangiovese was one of several projects students carried out in several wineries that year,鈥� Henick-Kling said. 鈥淣oel knew where to source excellent fruit and how to make an outstanding wine from it.鈥�

Still, the听bar was very high. 鈥淎ll wines produced in the Blended Learning class must be excellent,鈥� Henick-Kling added.

鈥淚鈥檝e produced a lot of wines,鈥� Perez allowed. 鈥淏ut nothing with my name on the label. So, I put my whole heart into it.鈥�

Because Sangiovese is one of his favorite varietals for its character and crimson color, Perez knew exactly what he wanted from his signature wine.

鈥淚 wanted to make a wine with a little higher alcohol but with a lot of fruity notes and spicy character, but not too overwhelming.鈥�

In the spring of 2019, Thomas Henick-Kling, professor and Director of WSU鈥檚 V&E Program, called Perez into his office for a meeting.

鈥淎t first, I thought I was in trouble,鈥� Perez joked. Then he thought the meeting might be about his Sangiovese project. But it wasn鈥檛 about his signature wine.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 when they told me I was the Wine Spectator Student of the Year.鈥�

Perez was stunned. 鈥淚 froze,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought they were kidding, because there are so many good students here. I couldn鈥檛 believe it.鈥�

In 2017, Wine Spectator donated $1 million to the WSU Viticulture and Enology Program to help establish the resources for teaching, research, and scholarships.听The Student of the Year award includes a $15,000.00 scholarship from the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation and is awarded annually to a V&E student in recognition of their academic achievements and contributions to the wine industry.

is a print and online publication, with approximately 3 million readers worldwide.听The flagship magazine听examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine鈥檚 role in contemporary culture and providing expert reviews.

When he told his mother, she was overwhelmed. 鈥淪he cried her eyes out,鈥� Perez recalled.

But Perez鈥檚 backward path to success didn鈥檛 end there. Last August, his Sangiovese received top honors and recognition at the听听annual Winemaker鈥檚 Picnic & Barrel Auction, where it competed handily with the state鈥檚 leading labels.

In the end, five cases of his Sangiovese sold for a听whopping听$9,155. The proceeds are part of the total revenue the Auction of Washington Wines raises to support the WSU Viticulture & Enology Program.

When asked what his mother thought of his latest achievement, Perez said, 鈥淪he told me to stay humble, and to remember where I came from.鈥�

The question now is, where will he go?

鈥淭here are so many different options after I graduate. Eventually, the plan is to create my own label, and to create a company where I can take everything I have learned in work and school and bring it all full circle.鈥�

By Brandon Schrand, College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource Sciences

RICHLAND, Wash. – When Madeleine Higgins was trying to pay the rent in New York as a struggling fashion writer, she never dreamed that one day she would be interning in a custom-crush facility in Walla Walla, Wash., learning to make wine as a top-student in and garnering national distinction.

A Los Angeles native who grew up in Seattle, Higgins attended Loyola Marymount where she majored in Psychology, minored in English, and sold shoes part time to foot the bills. After graduating in 2013, Higgins landed a job in New York writing for Cond茅 Nast鈥檚听, though she quickly found herself living in an unsustainable situation.

鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 surviving in New York,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 afford to eat.鈥�

It was when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer that Madeleine finally said goodbye to New York and returned to Seattle to be with family. As her mother recovered, Higgins started selling shoes again, helping out where she could.

鈥淚t was during this time I realized that writing wasn鈥檛 going to happen for me,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I had enough passion to move through the difficulty of getting started. That鈥檚 when a chance encounter changed everything.鈥�

A winery tour that changed everything

Higgins said she had a family friend who worked for , and that hearing someone from the industry talk about wine was very interesting. The conversation led to a private tour of the Woodinville, Wash. winemaking facility.

鈥淚 was really inspired by that particular tour,鈥� she said.

In researching winemaking as a career, she was immediately drawn to WSU鈥檚 viticulture and enology program. But it was still a big decision. Then her mother gave her the push she needed.

鈥淪he told me to jump in and go for it,鈥� she said.

Empowered by her mother鈥檚 courage and triumph, Madeleine moved to the Tri-Cities and started classes in 2016, ready for the challenge.

鈥淚 can say that I have always worked hard, and in my family鈥攚e鈥檙e Irish鈥攈ard work is one of our things,鈥� she said.

Hard work pays off

Over the last three years, her hard work has yielded great success. Beyond maintaining a high grade-point average, Higgins completed a research assistantship, won Best Undergraduate Poster at the Washington Winegrowers Convention, created a wine for WSU Blended Learning at and secured a coveted internship with in Napa Valley this summer.

Then this spring, she was named听听Student of the Year, an accolade that comes with a $15,000 scholarship from the magazine鈥檚 scholarship foundation.

The honor, Higgins said, validates all the 5 a.m. routines of checking Brix, the grapes鈥� sugar content, in Walla Walla that turned into late nights at the studying phenolic compound structures, in addition to all the weeks of research with no days off in between her internship and school commitments.

But above all, she said the recognition told her that all her hard work and leap into a new life was worth it.

Looking back, she credits the program鈥檚 faculty for what she has accomplished.

鈥淭hey are incredibly supportive,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t WSU, I have access to some of the most important wine researchers in the world.鈥�

Life comes full circle

Many aspects of her life are now coming full circle, she said. Having once written for a magazine, she is now being honored by one. And after completing her internship in Napa Valley this summer, she plans on traveling to New Zealand.

鈥淭he same family friend who first introduced me to wine has a daughter there and a lot of wine connections,鈥� she said.

In New Zealand, she said she wants to learn by comparison.

鈥淭he only way for me to make an impact is to learn what other wine regions are like,鈥� she said.

But ultimately, she intends on making that impact at home.

鈥淲ashington is a really innovative place for wine making, she added. 鈥淪omeone told me it鈥檚 the 鈥榬ock and roll of wine.鈥� I love the idea of being a part of that.鈥�

Learn more about听 at .

RICHLAND, Wash. – The Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation will donate $1 million to the Washington State University Viticulture & Enology Program, the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Announced at the annual Auction of Washington Wines Gala on Aug. 19 in Woodinville, Wash., the donation will be dedicated to teaching labs and facilities as well as scholarships for viticulture and enology students.听

Half of the $1 million donation will support the build-out of the Life Science Teaching Laboratory at the Ste. Michelle Wine Estates WSU Wine Science Center,听听鈥� a state-of-the-art facility that is one of the most technologically advanced wine science centers in the world and attracts exceptional researchers and students 鈥� on the 午夜剧场 campus in Richland, Wash. The remainder will fund viticulture and enology student scholarships, $100,000 every year for five years. In recognition of the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation鈥檚 gift, the atrium of the Wine Science Center will be named in their honor: The Wine Spectator Atrium.

Wine Spectator, , is a print and online publication, with approximately 3 million readers worldwide. It examines the world of wine from the vineyard to the table, exploring wine鈥檚 role in contemporary culture and providing expert reviews.

鈥淲e are elated to have the support of such a pre-eminent authority on wine,鈥� said WSU President Kirk Schulz. 鈥淲ine Spectator Scholarship Foundation鈥檚 generous donation is an investment in the WSU viticulture and enology program and showcases the caliber of research work that is at the forefront of our Drive to 25,鈥�

鈥淲ashington State University has demonstrated a leadership position in wine education in the United States, and we are therefore proud to recognize the university鈥檚 high achievement with our commitment,鈥� said Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher, Wine Spectator.

Washington wines are recognized for their quality and value, evident through data published by Wine Spectator magazine. For the past six years, Wine Spectator has rated more Washington wines 90 points or higher and at a lower average price than any other wine-producing region in the world.

WSU鈥檚 viticulture and enology program,听,听 is a comprehensive education and research program that prepares students for successful careers in the wine industry and supports the needs of the region鈥檚 winemakers and grape growers. Multidisciplinary, science-based, and hands-on, the viticulture and enology program offers students technical, scientific, and practical experience in every aspect of the grape-growing and winemaking process.

 

Media contact:

Marta Coursey, director, WSU CAHNRS Communications, 509-335-2806 marta.coursey@wsu.edu

Kaury Balcom, WSU Viticulture & Enology, 509-572-5540,听kaury.balcom@wsu.edu

Lori Rosen, Wine Spectator, 212-255-8910,听lori@rosengrouppr.com