Join us in congratulating Adrienne Goppold on being selected by The Women of the Vine & Spirits Foundation Committee to be one of three recipients of their yearly educational scholarships!
A current student in the App State Fermentation department, Adrienne (Ady) was chosen out of 300+ applicants. Her passion and excitement for fermented beverages developed from 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, as well as, her family's unique history in the field which did not go unnoticed in her biography submitted to WOTV (below).
My family has always been fermentation specialists, it just took me a while to put it all together. My grandfather, whom we called “Opa”, was a Czech butcher and sausage maker. My German grandmother, “Oma”, was an avid baker, canner, and preserver of all the vegetables she grew in her massive garden. These are skills they learned in post-war Europe and brought to the United States as very poor immigrants. I have distant family who own vineyards in the Rheingau, which I got to visit when I was only 15 years old. This had a big impact on me and I have always romanticized winemaking as a career. On the other side of my family, my grandmother was an avid herbalist. My mother is now an excellent baker of bread and pies, as well as carrying on the tradition of growing vegetables organically and canning and preserving them.
I have spent nearly my whole life working in the hospitality industry with over 20 years of service. I have worked as a sommelier, bartender, server, and manager in bars, fine dining restaurants, breweries, wineries, and wine tasting rooms. It helped me pay my way through my first degree from Georgia Tech as an Industrial Design major. Now, it is helping me earn a second degree in Fermentation Science from Appalachian State University. I have always been attracted to fermented beverages…not only because they are delicious and entertaining, but I love the science, complexity, lore, and history behind them as well. I believe wine should be fun and beer should be serious, which is the reverse of how they are commercialized. Diving into this science has taught me so many great things about the world around us. I feel like wine and beer do this for people...they open a world of wonders.
I decided to become a winemaker because I have a passion for great wine, great people, and great adventure! I have dedicated myself to making sure my products are made as sustainably and responsibly as possible while at the same time using the most advanced science and technology available to ensure quality and efficiency. I want to support women in the industry (the original brewers) and, make sure women are supported in science, technology, and production roles. The WOTVS scholarship will help launch the next phase of my career and I cannot wait to get started!
"I am so grateful and honored to be chosen! I feel like I am on my path to success and this scholarship will help give me a boost. I hope to return the favor by supporting women in brewing and winemaking for the duration of my career. Cheers!" - Adrienne
Visit womenofthevine.com to learn more about scholarships and how they are "helping women advance their careers in the food, wine, spirits, beer, or hospitality industries."
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About the A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences
The A.R. Smith Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences offers a Bachelor of Arts in chemistry, a Bachelor of Science in chemistry with eight different concentrations and an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science degree in fermentation sciences. The department’s programs prepare students to attend graduate and professional schools, as well as for employment in the pharmaceutical and fermentation industries and other business sectors. Learn more at https://chemistry.appstate.edu.
Adrienne Goppold. Photo Submitted.
Adrienne Goppold. Photo Submitted.