A couple of days ago, I saw on Facebook this announcement from Sabrina Lueck, the interim Director of the Institute for Enology and Viticulture at the Walla Walla Community College, "Wine industry friends: after 11 fantastic years, I am leaving WWCC for further professional growth and adventure. I absolutely love the program and serving our industry as an educator has been one of the great privileges of my life. Bringing new energetic leadership into our program and community is the perfect capper for my time here."

After leaving, Sabrina will be working for the German wine producer Weingut Keller in the Rheinhessen region south of the Rhine valley. It is a prestigious producer of high-scoring wines, mostly Riesling with some Pinot Noir ("Spatburgunder") and other varieties. It will be a great opportunity. Sabrina is a graduate of Cornell University and became familiar with the wines of the Finger Lakes region of New York, where Riesling is the signature grape variety.

So, what's ahead for the Institute program and College Cellars, founded in 2000, in the future? A search for a new Director is under way and Sabrina will play a part in that search. The impact of the program has been tremendous, even beyond the Walla Walla Valley. The list of distinguished graduates goes on and on. Under new leadership, there will be a great opportunity to teach new students and take the program to the next level. 

For more about this topic, see Sean O. Sullivan's article, "Walla Walla's College Cellars looks to the future," on www,wawinereport.com.