Wine Continued from Page 4
to support their efforts in bringing more diversity to the wine industry andmake it more inclusive for everyone,”Wade said in a statement onhis appointment to theviti- culture board. “Wine is for everyone, and I look forward to working with my fellow boardmembers to createmeaningful and impactful change.” Wade is not Porter’s only wine industry rolemodel.Amongothers, hecitedCharles Woodson,aretiredNationalFootballLeague cornerback who played for the Green Bay Packers andOaklandRaiders. Woodsonhas his own line of wines pro- duced by a vintner near Fresno, O’Neill Vintners andDistillers in Parlier. The vari- etals includeCharles’ Intercept,aredblend. Porter saidhiswines are sold at 10 loca- tions intheSanJoaquinValley. Thebrands are also carried in Atlanta at The Bailey WineCellar, openedin2019by formerReal Housewife of Atlanta star Cynthia Bailey. He saidhehas learned to focus not only on the wines but also on the variability of how each wine is received. He said he knows thepreferences, for example, invar- ious parts of Fresno andwhether a partic- ular brandwill sell there or not. “I want it to be good enough for an ex- perienced wine drinker,” he said, “and smooth enough for a beginner.” (Denni s Pol lock i s a repor t er in F r e s no . He ma y b e c on t a c t e d a t agcompollock@yahoo.com.)
play professional basketball in France. Demetr ius Porter, who played at Fresno State for coach Jerry Tarkanian, said he was inspired by the wine culture of France. He said he came to believe in health benefits of wine, particularly of red wines. Porter nowheads awine venture called CenterCorkbyDemetrius. Theventure isa partnershipwithwinemaker andbusiness consultant David Scheidt in Healdsburg inSonomaCounty. Proceeds fromCenter Cork wines support Porter’s Exposure Sports, where he works with youths to in- crease their chances of scholarship offers. Both Fresno State and UC Davis are known for their research and teaching in viticulture, the growing of grapes and enology, turning them into wine. Alumni fromboth schools have become winemakers across California and else- where, but achieving more diversity is a work in progress. At UC Davis, David Block, a professor and chair of the viticulture and enology department, said the percentage of un- derrepresented students enrolled has increased to 25% from less than 5% in the decade since the department established its Broadening Horizon program for that purpose in 2012. At Fresno State, 2% of students in the programwereAfricanAmericans inthe fall
Demetrius Porter, left, heads a wine venture called Center Cork By Demetrius. Former NBA all-star Dwyane Wade, right, co-founded Wade Cellars in Napa Valley in 2014.
ViticultureandEnologyLeadershipBoard, other board members now include wine writerandBlackWineProfessionals found- er Julia Coney and viticulturist and recent DavisalumnusMiguelLuna, apartnerwith SilveradoFarmingCo. inNapaValley. Porter saidWade is a model for him in the way he carries himself in the wine in- dustry. “He’s elegant,” Porter said. Before hi s par tnership wi th UC Davis, Wade founded The Wade Family Foundation and launched Social Change Fund United. The groups work on proj- ects in communities of color and invest in organizations helping economically marginalized areas. “I’mexcited to join forceswithUCDavis
of 2020, saidAnil Shrestha, who heads the department. Some 52% of those enrolled wereHispanicand2%wereAsian, he said. Bell, whowas named social visionary of the year inWine Enthusiast’s 22nd annu- al Wine Star Awards in October, said she wants tobringmore inclusioninviticulture studies at Fresno state and in the wine in- dustry at large. “I justwant todoeverything that I can to amplify these stories so others are aware and (students are) not in their 30s, 40s or 50sbefore they realize that this isan indus- try they can go into as a career,” Bell said. Bell and Porter say they now aspire to have their ownwineries someday. At UC Davis, where Wade joined the
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