Women in Wine Scholarship Fund Announced in Honor of Distinguished Napa Valley Winemaker Debbie Lewis

Rohnert Park, CA – The Wine Business Institute (WBI) in the School of Business and Economics (SBE) at Sonoma State University announced the Debbie Lewis Women in Wine Scholarship Fund to provide two annual $5,000 scholarships – one for an undergraduate and one for a graduate student seeking a degree in wine business. Recipients of the Debbie Lewis Women in Wine Scholarship Fund, Karina Dulberg ’21, B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Wine Business Strategies, and Martha Vicedomini ’21, Global Executive MBA in Wine Business, were recognized along with other Wine Business Institute scholarship recipients at an awards ceremony and luncheon on Monday, May 13. Over $50,000 in wine business scholarships were awarded for the 2019/2020 academic year.

“Our hope with this scholarship fund is to provide financial support for students who share Debbie’s passion for the wine business, while commemorating her and her life-long dedication towards mastering the business of wine and perfecting the winemaking process,” said Randy Lewis, co-owner of Lewis Cellars and surviving partner of Debbie Lewis. “Debbie was very involved in every aspect of vineyard management, winemaking, and sales and distribution. She was the rock and champion behind Lewis Cellars’ many successes and milestones.”

“Debbie Lewis was one of the early 20th century leaders of the California wine industry and made significant contributions to the prestige of the Napa Valley. We are pleased to honor Mrs. Lewis’ life and legacy as an award-winning winemaker with this scholarship fund,” said Ray Johnson, executive director of the Wine Business Institute.

Debbie Lewis was co-owner of Lewis Cellars, an award-winning family winery in Napa Valley, California. In 2016, the Lewis’ 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet was named Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator, one of the elite wine awards in the industry. Mrs. Lewis grew up in California’s Central Valley on her family’s ranch and worked in wine wholesale and retail earlier in her professional career. She and her husband, Randy, shared a passion for rich, bold new world wines.

For more information about the Debbie Lewis Women in Wine Scholarship Fund and other Wine Business Institute scholarships, please visit https://sbe.sonoma.edu/scholarships or emailwinebiz@sonoma.edu. For more information about our degree and certificate programs, please visit http://sbe.sonoma.edu/, or connect with us at mba@sonoma.edu or (707) 664-3501.