The Allen Shoup Memorial Fellowship was established in 2023 in honor of Allen Shoup, who believed deeply in collaboration and community, working his entire career to promote Washington wine around the world. Allen played a leading role in developing Washington’s wine industry as the longtime head of the state’s biggest winery, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, and later as the owner of his own acclaimed winery, Long Shadows Vintners. Allen served on nearly every major industry board and was instrumental in founding the Washington State Wine Commission and the Auction of Washington Wines. This fellowship is a collaboration between the Auction of Washington Wines, the Washington Wine Commission, the Washington Winegrowers Association, and the Washington Wine Industry Foundation.
Fellowship Details
To honor Allen’s legacy, the industry has created a fellowship for writers interested in learning about Washington wine. This fellowship will award up to two writers or communicators annually with an immersive experience in Washington wine country to include the following tailored to the individual’s interests:
Roundtrip airfare to Washington State.
1-2 trips to Washington over the course of one-year, for a total of up to two weeks, dependent on the recipient’s geographic location and availability. Robust itinerary to include vineyard and winery visits, along with meetings with key growers, vintners, educators, and industry representatives.
All meals and accommodations.
Up to 5 cases of assorted Washington wine samples.
A stipend of $3,000.00
An expert panel of renowned wine writers, sommeliers and educators will choose the fellowship recipient, with input from the industry advisory committee.
Donate
The goal is to raise $100,000 now to fund the fellowship for the next five years.
Amy Beth Wright is a journalist and creative nonfiction writer based in the New York City area. Having appreciated wine for many years, she began writing about the wine industry, with a particular focus on articulating the robust wine production occurring within underappreciated domestic wine regions in Texas, Missouri, and Georgia (among others), after completing her Master of Fine Arts in Writing at Sarah Lawrence College.
She’s been enamored with Washington wine since her visit to the Yakima Valley in 2023, and is honored to be the recipient of the second annual Allen Shoup Memorial Fellowship. Amy Beth contributes regularly to Wine Enthusiast, SevenFifty Daily, and The Vintner Project, and other outlets dedicated to food, wine, and travel.
She teaches writing at the State University of New York at Purchase (Purchase College) and serves on the board of the SUNY Council on Writing. Read more of her work at amybethwrites.com.
Her Substack https://wineflights.substack.com is in development—in the meantime, subscribe and keep in touch on Instagram, @amyb1021!
2024
Gwendolyn Elliott
Gwendolyn Elliott is a writer and editor based in Walla Walla, Washington. She launched her writing career as a freelance music blogger in the early aughts, eventually working her way to Music Editor at Seattle Weekly, and later, to Senior Editor at Seattle magazine.
Her interest in wine, first formed as a liberal arts college student in her native New York state, grew over the years through work in restaurants that supported her writing, travel in Europe and South America, and wine tasting trips across the country.
Her parents, wine lovers from the Finger Lakes, have been known to weep at the quality of red wines she sends home from Washington state.
She has written about wine for Wine Enthusiast, Duckhorn, and the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin as well as Seattle Weekly, Seattle magazine, and other publications.
She lives with her husband, Toby Woodruff, Tasting Room Manager at Canvasback winery, and their three cats.
Thank you to our donors
Ste Michelle Wine Estates
Beth McCaw and Yahn Bernier
Moe & Suzy Krabbe
Peter & Julie Rose
Bob & Cathy Betz
Arlen Prentice
John & Kathy Harnish
Amy Figgins
Dick & Luanne Boushey
Teresa Spellman Gamble
Kent Waliser
Mark Takagi
Carole Viney
CBIZ Berntson Porter
Ted & Joanne Baseler
Stephan Martinez & Kortney Saupe
Dick Olsen
Gregory Christopher
Dane & Sara Narbaitz
Joe & Linda Chauncey
John Rudolph
Marty & Megan Clubb
Carl & Renee Behnke
Douglas Howe
A look back at Allen at the Gala over the years
AUCTION OF WASHINGTON WINES
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The Northwest Wine Benefit Foundation, DBA Auction of Washington Wines, is committed to supporting the growth and awareness of the Washington state wine industry through a series of celebrated events benefiting our community. We have raised more than $76 million since our inception in 1988.
The Auction of Washington Wines is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital or familial status.