Exclusive partnership marks commitment to the future of hospitality and wine education
September 17, 2025 (Miami, FL) — The Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) and Penfolds announced an innovative partnership and establishment of the Penfolds Evermore Wine Studies Scholarship Fund to create a pathway to a career in the wine industry. The educational initiative is made possible through a generous gift from Penfolds, under the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio.
“We are honored to partner with Penfolds, a leader and one of the most respected names in global wine making, to expand access and hands-on learning opportunities in the wine industry,” said Michael Cheng, dean of the Chaplin School.
The multi-year scholarship will cover the cost of in-state Florida tuition and funding to participate in an educational study trip in Napa Valley, California for students pursuing careers in wine studies. Each year, two high-achieving students enrolled in or accepted to the Chaplin School will be selected. In addition, the luxury wine brand is offering student internship opportunities in Napa Valley.
‘Our Evermore program is all about supporting the next generation of bold, curious industry professionals, those future winemakers, viticulturists, sommeliers, and hospitality leaders eager to grow, learn, and gain real-world experience. We’re proud to partner with Florida International University and the Vidal-Duart Wine Studies Program to launch the inaugural Penfolds Evermore Wine Studies Scholarship Fund, helping create meaningful opportunities that lay the foundation for tomorrow’s industry leaders,’ said Kristy Keyte, Chief Marketing Officer at Penfolds.
The Penfolds Evermore Wine Studies Scholarship Fund will be administered by the FIU Foundation and overseen by the Chaplin School. It marks another partnership in the continued growth of the Chaplin School’s Vidal-Duart Wine Studies Program, the only wine studies program in the country named by a Hispanic family and part of a 50-year legacy of preeminent wine education at the Chaplin School.
Since its naming in 2023, the Vidal-Duart Wine Studies Program has expanded its faculty and curriculum, created dozens of experiential learning opportunities, hosted community events and master classes and has successfully prepared graduates for professions across all sectors of the wine industry, including distribution and sales, technology and ownership. It has also continued to elevate the program at the world-famous South Beach Wine & Food Festival®, which benefits and is produced by the Chaplin School and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits.
Two FIU hospitality students are already among the first to participate in the partnership.
“Learning about the wine portfolio has been amazing. I feel so lucky and blessed to have been chosen for this because I know it’s going to help in my career,” said Elaine Mena, an FIU hospitality management student who spent the summer in Napa Valley on a 10-week internship at Penfolds. The Chaplin School has long been a pioneer in beverage education. Its wine studies program and undergraduate degree in beverage and spirits management date back to the 1990s. The program was shaped by the late legendary FIU professor Patrick “Chip” Cassidy, alongside industry icons and Southern Wine & Spirits Founders, the late Harvey Chaplin, the late Jay Weiss and Mel Dick. Together they laid the foundation that continues to shape future leaders in the global wine and beverage industry.
About Penfolds
Since the very beginning, Penfolds commitment to quality has been underpinned by the art of blending and attesting all wines are connected through a consistent and recognisable ‘House Style’; the ultimate expression of a time-honoured and distinctive tradition of finding the best grapes to make wine from the very best regions. Today, this philosophy extends beyond Australia, to the bountiful soils of California, Napa Valley, Bordeaux, and China. Penfolds continues to Venture Beyond and in 2024 celebrated 180 years of excellence; achieved through an alchemy of art and science. Through the passing of time, wine innovations have become great traditions and old and new generations continue to mark moments and create their own stories…. with a glass of Penfolds in hand. And so – almost two centuries since inception, Penfolds continues to write new chapters and proudly remains one of the world’s most revered winemakers … now and for ‘evermore’…
About Penfolds Evermore
Penfolds Evermore is the brand’s community and sustainability platform and captures its aspirations as a global winemaker, employer, and leader to leave a positive mark on the places, communities and people we engage with, contributing to a world where future generations can thrive. Penfolds Evermore complements parent-company Treasury Wine Estates’ broader sustainability strategy, focusing on areas inextricably linked to Penfolds DNA.
The Penfolds Evermore Wine Studies Scholarship is just one element of the Penfolds Evermore program and how the brand is delivering to support the next generation of bold and curious winemakers, viticulturists, sommeliers and hospitality workers.
About FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management:
Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management is the No. 4 best hospitality school among U.S. Public Universities and ranked 31 in the world. More than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students from across the nation and around the globe choose FIU for its outstanding reputation, advantageous campus locations in Miami, expert faculty, rich curriculum and real career opportunities in the international hotel, real estate, foodservice, beverage and spirits management, travel, tourism, revenue management, entertainment, and mega and large-scale event industries. As the second largest hospitality school in the country, FIU Chaplin School’s population consists of 70% women and students from 72 countries represented, For more information about Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, visit http://hospitality.fiu.edu.
About the FIU Foundation:
Established in 1969, the Florida International University Foundation, Inc. (FIU Foundation) is registered by the State of Florida as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. As defined in Florida Statute section 1004.28, the FIU Foundation has also been certified as a Direct Support Organization (DSO) of Florida International University. Governed by a board of directors, the FIU Foundation serves to encourage, solicit, receive, and ethically administer gifts for scientific, educational, and charitable purposes for the advancement of FIU. Through philanthropy, the FIU Foundation provides the margin of excellence that makes FIU one of the nation’s leading public research universities. For more information, visit give.fiu.edu.
About FIU:
Florida International University is a top 50 public university that drives talent and innovation in Miami and globally. Very high research (R1) activity and high economic mobility come together at FIU to uplift and accelerate student success in a global city by focusing in the areas of environment, health, and technology and innovation. With two campuses and multiple centers, FIU serves a student body of more than 56,000. U.S. News and World Report ranks FIU No. 46 among public universities and places dozens of FIU programs among the best in the nation, including international business at No. 2.