Glancy Wine Education Foundation

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Lodi, CA
Glancy Wine Education Foundation

Funding wine education for underserved and minority communities.
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We raise a majority of our scholarship funds by putting on fantastic wine experiences and through individual and corporate donations.

06/10/2026

This Pride Month, we’re celebrating Zoltan Nagy, General Manager and Wine Director at Macarena Group in Palo Alto, California.

Born in Transylvania and raised in a Hungarian family, Zoltan moved to Barcelona at 20 and spent more than 15 years building a remarkable career across wine and hospitality. He has worked at some of Spain’s most celebrated dining institutions, including the three-Michelin-starred Cocina Hermanos Torres and Oria, the Michelin-starred restaurant led by Martín Berasategui. A Certified Sommelier through the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, he has also served as a wine judge for the Berlin Wine Trophy and the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, among others.

As an educator specializing in Cava, Sherry, and Rioja, Zoltan has traveled the world sharing his passion for the stories and cultures behind every bottle. Today, he brings that same spirit of connection and discovery to his guests in Palo Alto.

We’re proud to feature voices like Zoltan’s in our community. The wine world is richer when everyone has a seat at the table.

PrideInWine

05/31/2026

This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re honored to spotlight Janie Woo — Executive Director of The Stratford, a luxury retirement living community in the San Francisco Bay Area, and a proud member of our board as Scholarship Chair.

Janie’s life in wine has unfolded one chapter at a time. She began in hospitality, went on to found her own wine distribution company in Asia, and eventually became a vineyard owner. Today she is co-founder of Tobias Glen vineyard and the creator of a wine brand with three expressions, each named in a different language but rooted in the same philosophy: enjoy life. She is also an investor in Ethy’s Fancy, a Michelin Guide recognized restaurant.

As a first generation Chinese immigrant, Janie never expected wine to become such a central part of her life. But at every turn, education was what gave her the confidence and credibility to take the next step.

“Wine crosses borders, bridges cultures, and welcomes everyone to the same table. Education is what makes that welcome feel real, and it is precisely why the Glancy Wine Education Foundation’s mission is so close to my heart.”

We’re grateful to have Janie’s heart, history, and leadership guiding our work.

05/25/2026

Donna Kato’s path to wine was anything but linear — and that’s exactly what makes her story worth telling.

A Japanese American biochemist and founder of a biotech consulting firm, Donna came to winemaking through a lifetime of connecting science to the natural world. Her great-grandfather was a peach farmer in Japan, and that thread of working the land never left her. After years in biotech, she went back to UC Davis to earn her Master’s in Viticulture & Enology and founded Adonna Wines, producing limited-release Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from her Canfield Vineyard in Sonoma County.

For Donna, wine education isn’t just about credentials. It’s about building the kind of knowledge and confidence that opens doors, especially for those coming to the industry from outside traditional pathways. That belief aligns with everything GWEF exists to do.

This May, in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we’re proud to celebrate Donna, and grateful she shared her perspective with us. 🍷

05/18/2026

This AAPI Heritage Month, we’re celebrating Susan R. Lin, MW — a woman who has built a career at the intersection of artistry, intellect, and advocacy.

Susan is also one of our own. As a past GWEF scholarship recipient, her journey is a living example of what this foundation exists to make possible.

She holds two graduate-level distinctions that are rare individually and virtually unheard of together: Master of Wine and Master of Fine Arts. She currently serves as Head of Wine at Belmont Wine Exchange and as President and Co-Founder of the Asian Wine Association of America, where she works to elevate Asian American voices and dismantle barriers across the industry.

Her path into wine began simply, with personal curiosity and a single course. By investing in her education, she found not just a career, but a platform. Today her work spans wine judging, conference speaking, research, and bespoke music-and-wine experiences for organizations including the San Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Ballet, and Google. Her writing and research have been featured in Decanter, Food & Wine, and Robb Report, among others.

Susan’s story is a powerful reminder of why we do what we do. Education doesn’t just change individual trajectories. It changes industries.

05/11/2026

✨ We’re proud to share the Glancy Wine Education Foundation’s 2026 Impact Report. ✨

Since 2020, GWEF has awarded 303 scholarships and distributed more than $405,000 in grants to underrepresented wine professionals, with just 9% overhead. More than a third of our recipients have been promoted after earning their certification. The report tells the story of why that matters: for careers, for families, and for an industry that still has a long way to go to reflect the country it serves.

🔗Click on the link in our bio to read the full report.

05/08/2026

Our spring newsletter is here. 🌸

Budbreak in the vineyard. New faces in our community. A refreshed look. And a scholarship named for a woman whose love of Champagne and wine education left a lasting mark on everyone around her.

There’s a lot blooming at GWEF this season. Tap the link in bio to read all of it.

05/02/2026

🍷📚 A new look. The same mission.

This spring, we’re proud to unveil a refreshed brand identity for the Glancy Wine Education Foundation.

Our updated logo carries forward the values that have guided us since 2020 — accessibility, excellence, and community in wine education — through a visual language that reflects where we’re headed and the next generation of wine professionals we’re honored to serve.

Like good education, we believe in staying relevant. This is our next chapter, and we’re just getting started.

05/01/2026

The Deborah O’Brien Women in Wine Scholarship

This year, the American Wine School in partnership with the Glancy Wine Education Foundation has established a scholarship in memoriam of Deborah Ann O’Brien.

Deb O’Brien (1967–2022) was a woman whose curiosity and love of life’s simple pleasures led her to pursue a deep knowledge of wine. Her professionalism and enthusiasm made her a trusted voice in the industry — backed by her WSET Level 3 Award with Distinction and Certified Specialist of Wine designation. She traveled widely, tasted with intention, and championed education at every turn.

Established this year by GWEF in cooperation with Deborah’s alma mater, the American Wine School, this scholarship provides financial assistance for other women who share that same passion by assisting them in pursuing professional certifications and career advancement in the wine industry. Awards are available at the International Wine Center (NYC), the San Francisco Wine School, and the American Wine School. Raise a glass of bubbles — Deb certainly would. 🥂

To learn more contact our scholarship chair, Janie Woo [email protected]

04/24/2026

What if your gift could carry someone’s name forward — forever?

When you give $10,000 or more to the Glancy Wine Education Foundation, you can establish a named scholarship in honor of someone who loved wine, education, or both. A mentor. A colleague. A friend you still raise a glass for.

The Deborah O’Brien Women in Wine Scholarship is a beautiful example of what that looks like. Deb O’Brien (1967–2022) brought effervescence to everything she touched — fittingly, since Champagne was her greatest love. A woman whose curiosity and love of life’s simple pleasures led her to pursue a deep knowledge of wine, she built a career that spanned retail, education, and distribution. Her professionalism and enthusiasm made her a trusted voice in the industry — backed by her WSET Level 3 Award with Distinction and Certified Specialist of Wine designation. She traveled widely, tasted with intention, and championed education at every turn — finding her wine community through the American Wine School and never looking back.

Established by the Glancy Wine Education Foundation in cooperation with Deborah’s alma mater, the American Wine School, this scholarship provides financial assistance for women who share that same passion — supporting them in pursuing professional certifications and career advancement in the wine industry. Awards are available at the International Wine Center (NYC), the San Francisco Wine School, and the American Wine School.

Your $10K gift becomes a legacy. It becomes your loved one’s name on someone’s future. Raise a glass of bubbles — Deb certainly would. 🥂

Visit the “Become a Sponsor” page on our website to learn more. Link in bio.

04/16/2026

This one calls for a toast. 🥂

Annie Shi, our incredible board member and the visionary behind Lei, was recently featured in Food & Wine as the force behind one of New York City’s most groundbreaking wine bars — where Chinese cuisine and wine come together in a way that’s never been done quite like this before.

And if that weren’t enough to celebrate, Lei has also been named a 2026 James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant — one of the most prestigious honors in the American culinary world.

Annie’s vision, passion, and fearlessness in creating something entirely her own is an inspiration to all of us at the Glancy Wine Education Foundation. She embodies everything we believe in: the power of wine to bring people together, and the importance of diverse voices leading the way in our industry.

Congratulations, Annie. We couldn’t be more proud to have you at our table.

Address

Lodi, CA

Telephone

+17077388540

Website

https://www.glancywineeducationfoundation.org/

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