More Than 15,000
Students Have Broadened their Wine Knowledge
Media Contact:
Tyffani Peters-Sedgwick
Media Relations Specialist
707-967-2322
t_peters@culinary.edu
St. Helena, CA – The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Greystone
celebrates 10 years of providing world-class wine education at its Rudd Center
for Professional Wine Studies. The innovative programs and instruction offered
in the state-of-the-art venue has helped launch and advance thousands of
careers for the next generation of wine and beverage leaders and master
sommeliers. As part of the celebration, the CIA will host a reception and
dinner for Rudd Center donors on Friday, December 6, 2013, and a day of wine
tastings and classes for wine program alumni on Saturday, December 7.
Located in the heart of Napa Valley, the Rudd Center has
drawn more than 15,000 students to professional wine classes, Wine Lovers Boot
Camps, and weekend classes for enthusiasts. It is home to innovative education
offerings including the CIA's Accelerated Wine and Beverage Certificate Program
and Wine Immersion programs for industry professionals. The Rudd Center serves
as a wine classroom for the college's degree programs, and a collaboration
venue for the groundbreaking farm-to-table conservatory at Greystone.
Expanding on the college's successful wine programs for
professionals, the Rudd Center officially opened its doors in 2003, funded by a
lead grant from the Rudd Foundation and additional contributions from the
Cakebread family, Joel Peterson and Reed Foster, Viking Range Corporation, the
Napa Valley Vintners, and more. The historic building was formerly the Still
House, where Christian Brothers brandy was made
post-Prohibition. It is now a state-of-the art wine education center with
sensory classrooms designed for analyzing wines and beverages, wireless keypad
response systems, built-in light boxes, and expectoration stations.
Here's a look at the top 10 accomplishments for the Rudd
Center for Wine Studies in the past decade:
- In 2003, the Center opened its doors to students.
- That same year, the CIA introduced its Certified Wine
Professional® (CWP) credential. To date, 464 professionals have earned CWP certification.
- In 2004, the Robert M. Parker, Jr. Wine Advocate Tasting event
was launched to fund The Wine Advocate Endowed Scholarship Fund, which is now
fully endowed at more than $1 million dollars.
- Consumer wine classes at the Rudd Center have been offered
since 2009, and have grown to include 2 1/2-hour weekend classes and two-, three-,
and five-day Wine Lovers Boot Camps.
- In 2010, the CIA launched the first-of-its-kind Accelerated
Wine and Beverage Certificate Program (AWBP), a highly specialized postgraduate
certificate for select students coming from leading hospitality management and culinary arts schools. The program prepares graduates for a leadership career in the
beverage industry.
- AWBP graduates have achieved a 93% pass rate for the Court
of Master Sommelier Level II exam.
- In 2013, the CIA began offering an Advanced Wine, Beverage,
and Hospitality academic concentration for bachelor's degree students at the CIA Hyde Park, NY campus that includes a semester at the St. Helena campus. The
concentration provides upper-level studies in wines, spirits and principles of
mixology, and event beverage service.
- The Rudd Center recently received a 2014 Best of Wine
Tourism Award from Great Wine Capitals in recognition of the wine education
experiences offered in the Center.
- The 1,400 students enrolled to date in the CIA's associate degree programs at the Greystone campus have each received or will receive more
than 60 hours of wine instruction.
- The Rudd Center has become the "go to" venue for wine trade
training programs for companies like Cakebread Cellars, Diageo, Gallo, the Napa
Valley Vintners, and the St. Helena Star
Tasting Panel.
Photo Caption and Hi-Res Image
The CIA at Greystone celebrates 10 years of providing
world-class wine education at its Rudd Center for Professional Wine Studies,
and helping to advance thousands of careers for the next generation of wine and
beverage leaders and master sommeliers. (Photo
credit: CIA/Keith Ferris)
Founded in 1946, The Culinary Institute of America is an independent,
not-for-profit college offering associate and bachelor's degrees with majors in
culinary arts, baking and pastry arts, and culinary science, as well as certificate
programs in culinary arts and wine and beverage studies. As the world's premier
culinary college, the CIA provides thought leadership in the areas of health
& wellness, sustainability, and world cuisines & cultures through
research and conferences. The CIA has a network of 45,000 alumni that includes
industry leaders such as Grant Achatz, Anthony Bourdain, Roy Choi, Cat Cora,
Dan Coudreaut, Steve Ells, Charlie Palmer, and Roy Yamaguchi.
The CIA also offers courses for professionals and enthusiasts, as well as
consulting services in support of innovation for the foodservice and
hospitality industry. The college has campuses in Hyde Park, NY; St. Helena,
CA; San Antonio, TX; and Singapore.
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