Students at Acorn to Oak aren’t just learning about wine in the tasting room. They’re also learning about the business side of things, like wine club management, shipping, packing, and compliance. And much of the art on the tasting room’s walls is done by art students, even down to the clay pot spittoons on the bar.
Students help curate the tasting flight, which changes weekly. Johnson regularly tests his student employees about what wines Acorn to Oak should pour at any given time. Wines are selected from the 28 participating wineries for the three- and five-wine flights. Every winery on their list makes contributions to Linfield’s Oak and Vine Society, which provides scholarships for students. In fact, every dollar of profit goes back to student scholarships. And every region across Oregon is represented on the wine list.
Acorn to Oak purchases wines directly from the producers, rather than from distributors, so many of the wines are rarities, small batch wines, and library wines one couldn’t easily find on the wholesale market.
This brand new program not only serves both students and the community but is making history as well. For the first time in the university’s 180 years, they’re operating a public-facing tasting room off-campus, it’s the first time they’ve ever hired someone to run it, it’s the first time they’ve hired students to work there, and it’s the first time they’ve ever cut a check for gratuities the students have earned. #higereducation #highereducation #innovation
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