CWU Wine Club partners with students to build bright future

Since its inception in 2021, the CWU Wine Club has built a community made up of faculty, students, alumni, and other Wildcats who share a love for both Central Washington University and wine.

What began as an exclusive partnership with Chelan-based Nefarious Cellars—the first winery to support the CWU Alumni Association—has grown into an expanding network of CWU-connected wineries and an exciting future filled with Wildcat engagement and celebration of the region’s finest wines.

When the seeds of the CWU Wine Club were planted by former Senior Director of the Alumni Association Bob Ford, Nefarious Cellars stepped up to create a unique club for alumni to receive curated wine shipments from an alumni-owned business and connect with each other over great wine.

Now, as the CWU Wine Club continues to grow, so does the excitement surrounding the opportunities it offers for Wildcats to reconnect with Central, explore unique wines, and support student initiatives at the university.

But not only does the club offer student support; it also offers hands-on involvement from those enrolled in the CWU Wine Studies program.

“I’m really excited about the connection between the CWU Student Wine Club and the CWU Alumni Wine Club—it’s a great way to strengthen both groups while building lasting relationships between students and alumni,” said Jill Perillo Clark, the Wine Studies program coordinator, assistant professor, and sommelier.

The CWU Wine Club is partnering with Wine Studies to involve students and faculty in identifying CWU-connected wineries, facilitating wine-tasting events for alumni and friends, and ultimately helping to choose upcoming wine club shipment offerings.

“For students, it’s an opportunity to showcase their wine knowledge, gain valuable industry connections, and see how their ties to CWU can continue after graduation,” Clark continued. “Alumni, in turn, get to engage with the next generation of wine professionals and share their experiences beyond campus life. This collaboration has so much potential, and I’m looking forward to finding more ways for the CWU Wine Studies program to work with the alumni association to support students and keep our CWU wine community growing.”

The club will continue its popular fall and spring shipments, with members choosing between two options: the Four-Bottle Mixed Club or the Twelve-Bottle Mixed Club, allowing for flexibility based on preferences.

Its product offerings will also expand to include wines from new CWU-connected wineries. This will provide a unique experience for alumni while providing greater exposure for some of the most dynamic wineries associated with the university.

“We are looking forward to growing the CWU Wine Club, not only to increase club membership, but also to create new opportunities for our alumni and friends to engage with our students and one another around wine industry related events,” said Casey Ross, associate director of the CWU Alumni Association. “We’re thrilled to begin planning these opportunities for alumni industry insiders to collaborate with our students and faculty to grow awareness and appreciation of the impact our CWU Wildcat family is having on the Washington state wine industry.”

The wine club will soon undergo a website refresh to further highlight its partner wineries and provide more resources for members, making it easier to explore everything it has to offer and how its proceeds have had a positive impact on the Wildcat community.

As the CWU Wine Club moves forward, the partnership with Nefarious Cellars will continue to be a cornerstone of the club’s success. The winery’s early support helped establish a tradition of excellence, and the owners remain a valued partner as the club continues to expand.

Nefarious Cellars’ contributions, both through their wines and their unwavering support of Central, have helped make the CWU Wine Club a dynamic, exciting initiative that brings alumni and wineries together in celebration of Washington’s wine culture.

We look forward to the future of the club and encourage you to visit cwuwineclub.com to learn more about the club and become a member.