Wine Access Launches Diversity In Wine Scholarship Program With Josh Hart For People of Color

Wine Access today announced its Diversity In Wine Scholarship Program, in partnership with Josh Hart—NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans superstar and avid wine lover—as well as the Napa Valley Wine Academy. 100 individuals from the BIPOC community with career aspirations in or who work in the wine industry will be given a chance to learn from some of the most renowned and coveted professionals in the wine space, and to become WSET certified. In addition, top performers from the program will also earn other exciting opportunities, like a trip to Napa with Josh.

Photo Credit: Wine Access

”I entered the wine world as a young Black man and was lucky enough to build some incredible relationships,” began Josh, who first announced this exciting partnership in an exclusive Instagram Live chat with Haute Living and Wine Access. “However, I also saw how many barriers to entry there can be for other young people of color. I’m thrilled to be partnering with Wine Access on this initiative to provide others the same opportunities I was given. Wine Access is an authority in the space with an incredible depth of knowledge that enables them to tell stories that capture fascinating intricacies about each bottle of wine. This industry can often seem intimidating, but Wine Access makes it more comfortable for newcomers to build their knowledge and expand their palate.”

Wine Access recognized the need for increased representation, diversity and inclusivity in the wine industry, specifically in the BIPOC community, which is why the program had started. Given that the Wine Access team is made up of wine experts from all different walks of life, backgrounds and experiences, it was particularly important for the company to be a champion in this space, giving opportunities to minority groups to receive credentials from CMS and WSET to help further their careers in the wine industry.