Foley Family Wines & Spirits Announces Women in Wine Scholarship Fund and Donation to the CMS – A Women’s Sommelier Symposium

Foley Family Wines & Spirits (FFWS), the family-owned wine and spirits company, announced the new FFWS Women in Wine Scholarship Fund at Chateau St. Jean during the third CMS-A Women’s Sommelier Symposium.

The $10,000 fund was distributed among ten female sommeliers selected to attend the Symposium, held for the first time in Sonoma County, California, April 6-9, 2025. The annual mentoring experience provides education, mentorship, and industry connections. Participants engage in interactive workshops, panel discussions, and immersive vineyard visits.

Foley Family Wines & Spirits hosted the group on April 8th at Chateau St. Jean Winery in Kenwood for an educational workshop with winemaker, Lisa Evich. Women make up 50% of the company’s winemaking team. In partnership with The Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, FFWS awarded a $1,000 scholarship to each of the ten female sommelier attendees at the conclusion of the events at the winery.

“This scholarship is particularly impactful, as it covers the cost of the Advanced Sommelier Practical & Tasting Examination or one of the segments of the three-part Master Sommelier Examination,” noted Julie Cohen Theobald, Executive Director of the Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas. “We are proud to partner with Foley Family Wines & Spirits on the CMS-A Women’s Sommelier Symposium and thankful for their generosity to help these talented women further their career journeys.”

In addition to the scholarship fund, FFWS made a $10,000 donation to support the CMS-A Women’s Sommelier Symposium. “We are proud to support the talents of women in our industry,” noted Courtney Foley, EVP and Second-Generation Vintner at FFWS. “The term ‘sustainability’ does not just extend to our vineyards and winery sites but also to the communities and people we surround ourselves with.”