WST Scholarship Program
Supporting the growth and development of talented individuals in the Texas wine industry
$10,000 Awards
$10,000 Awards
The Wine Society of Texas will provide up to $11,000 in 2025 Scholarships
Our commitment
“WST has awarded over $126,000 in scholarships for 22 years”
The Wine Society of Texas (WST) will provide up to $11,000 in scholarships to worthy students or individuals pursuing wine and winery education, internship, field study, research work, grape growing, wine making and marketing in the state of Texas.
According to Ms. Shirley Choate, WST President, “In 2022 our organization was able to go back to some sense of normalcy. We had our state meeting in the Dripping Springs/Driftwood area, culminating with our annual dinner and fundraiser at Duchman Family Winery. We were able to again raise money for our scholarship fund through various events such as live and silent auctions and wine cork pull.
Through these fund-raising efforts and individual donations during the year, we will again be able to give out scholarships to deserving students, up to $11,000.
Our Awards in Action
These awards have been used for a variety of purposes - research for the Texas wine industry including Pierce’s disease, wine symposium and conferences, financial assistance for students pursuing viticulture, horticulture, winemaking or hotel management programs, wine sommelier studies, wine marketing and authors of books on the Texas wine and wine Industry.
Recipient Testimony
Holly Ollis
In 2024, I was fortunate to receive the James F. Whitley Founders Scholarship from the Wine Society of Texas, and in 2025 they awarded me the first Jeff Cope Texas Wine Lover scholarship. These funds have been a huge help in not only funding my education in viticulture and enology at Texas Tech but have also helped me to obtain my WSET II in Wines.
I owe so much to the Wine Society of Texas. On top of the financial assistance the scholarships have provided me, it’s amazing to know that the wonderful people of this organization believe in me. Their kindness, generosity, and support have been instrumental to my success. They welcomed me with open arms at their annual meetings, where I learned so much more than I would have without them and met some amazing Texas winemakers that I would have otherwise missed.
Their passion for Texas wine is inspiring, and I want nothing more than to make them proud and to be the very best student and eventual winemaker that I can be. Their support of students like me is what makes Texas and Texas wine great. Thank you, Wine Society of Texas, for believing in me!
– Holly Ollis, WST Scholarship Recipient 2024 & 2025
Recipient Testimony
Michael Cook
From my very first semester of starting my PhD at Texas A&M University in Horticulture, with an emphasis in Viticulture, the Wine Society of Texas has been there to support me. I had heard about the Wine Society of Texas long before I began my PhD pursuit and was familiar with their unwavering dedication in championing Texas wine but did not realize just how incredible this organization truly is until I was invited as a scholarship recipient to attend their annual state conference. What an amazing event and I have been fortunate to attend others. To this day these conferences have left an indelible mark on my own journey in supporting our Texas wine industry through my studies and research.
Not only are the members of this prestigious society staunch ambassadors of Texas wine and always eager to learn more about it but are equally invested in the next generation of students who have a vocation for serving the Texas wine industry. They understand the difficulties and challenge a determined student faces on their journey to better themselves by becoming a well-rounded leader in the Texas wine industry.
The Wine Society of Texas is a society all about education and service. Of course, the financial support from the three Wine Society Scholarships I have received have taken much of the burden from the monetary requirements a graduate program incurs, allowing me to focus more on my coursework and research and less on how I am going to pay the bills this semester or the next. This alone is a big deal! But these scholarships are not just a financial blessing. Being able to connect with the Wine Society of Texas family and plugging into this great organization has been a tremendous gift in my pursuit of becoming a well-rounded viticulturist.
The recognition from the scholarship committee and individual members I have connected with keep fueling the fire that motivates me to go above and beyond during my time in graduate school. I am forever grateful for the honor and privilege of being a three-time Wine Society of Texas Scholarship recipient and equally grateful for the supportive lifelong friendships I have made here.
– Michael Cook, WST Scholarship Recipient 2023, 2024 & 2025
