The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WALLA WALLA-Walla Walla Community College (WWCC) has announced the completion of a comprehensive search for a new director of the college's highly acclaimed Institute for Enology and Viticulture. Stylianos Logothetis is slated to begin his new role at WWCC on July 6.

Logothetis has more than 25 years of experience in the industry, including work as an oenologist, university professor, and industrial consultant to the wine industry. He holds a Master of Philosophy and a Ph.D. degree in Yeast Physiology and Fermentation Biotechnology from Abertay Dundee University in Scotland. Logothetis is a member of the Scottish Microbiology Society, European Federation of Biotechnology, and International Wine Organization (OIV).

The director position leads WWCC's degree program in Enology and Viticulture. In this position, Logothetis will also manage the estate vineyards, wine production, and winery operations while collaborating with the local wine-growing and winery industry.

"One of the most rewarding aspects of my work is the professional growth of my students and their success in the careers that follow," Logothetis said. "I am thrilled to be a member of the nationally celebrated Enology and Viticulture program at Walla Walla Community College.

Logothetis replaces interim director Sabrina Lueck who is heading to Germany to work for the highly revered winegrower Weingut Keller.

WWCC's Institute for Enology & Viticulture, founded in 2000, is the nation's premier academic institute for hands-on experience in winemaking and viticulture practices. Students from all over the United States are drawn to the 15,000 square foot facility, built in 2003, that houses classrooms and a fully operational and bonded winery called College Cellars-the first student-operated commercial winery at a community college.

The winery and vineyards are managed entirely by students and faculty as part of the intensive, hands-on learning experience. Students start during the annual "crush" and learn grape selection, growing, harvesting, fermenting, barreling, blending, and marketing, while also receiving valuable real-life experience through internships.

The program and its winery have received widespread recognition from industry publications like Wine Enthusiast and Wine Advocate, and numerous accolades in regional and national competitions. More than 400 students have graduated from the Institute, and most stay in the region. Their success is seen as a key contributor to the growth of the industry in the Walla Walla Valley and beyond. Case in point: more than half of the 95+ point "outstanding" and "extraordinary" Washington wines reviewed by "Robert Parker's Wine Advocate" were made by WWCC Enology & Viticulture graduates.

"As director of the Institute for Enology and Viticulture, I will bring all of my expertise and passion for wine education and production to the students, my colleagues, and the Walla Walla Valley wine community," Logothetis said.