Erin Scala announced as Rhone Rangers travel grant recipient
Erin Scala was announced as the recipient of the Rhone Rangers and James Beard Foundation grant.
Professional study and travel grant promotes understanding of American Rhone wines
–The Rhone Rangers and James Beard Foundation recently announced Erin Scala as the recipient of their 2016 Professional Study/Travel Grant. The grant is a joint effort to promote greater understanding of American Rhone wines in the food and restaurant community.
The grant will bring Scala to California, where she will visit several notable wineries and vineyards, meet winemakers and continue her education of American Rhone wines. Scala has a wealth of experience in food and wine. She attended the Robert Cook Honors College, Indiana University and later the New York International Wine Center. In New York, she served as beverage director for the Michelin-rated restaurant PUBLIC, and their adjacent bar, The Daily. She later worked at Michelin-starred The Musket Room, working as head sommelier. She currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia and runs the wine programs of Fleurie Restaurant and Petit Pois Bistro. She contributes to the popular wine podcast “I’ll Drink To That!” with Levi Dalton and in 2013, was honored in Wine Enthusiast Magazine in their “40 Under 40” feature article.
Scala said she is excited to meet some of the people who have changed the face of American wine by championing Rhone varietals. One of the many stops in her itinerary will be the San Francisco Rhone Rangers event on June 10 and 11 at the Golden Gate Club in the Presidio, where she will experience the winemaker dinner, wine seminar and wine tasting.
Rhone Rangers secretary and chairman of the scholarship Stuart Montgomery said they were thrilled to offer Scala the grant. “Her passion and thirst for wine knowledge stood out in a strong pool of applicants,” he said. “This opportunity will only strengthen her love and knowledge of American Rhone wines.”
The grant is made possible through the James Beard Foundation and Rhone Ranger members’ generous donations to Rhone Rangers live and silent auctions, and wouldn’t be possible without their support.
The Rhone Rangers is a group of about 120 American wineries dedicated to making wines from the 22 grape varieties originally made famous in France’s Rhone Valley. These varieties range from the better-known Syrah and Viognier to the up-and-coming Grenache, Mourvèdre and Roussanne, to obscure, but delicious, grapes like Counoise and Picpoul.
To learn more or to purchase tickets visit www.rhonerangers.org.
