Wine & Food Festival History

Wine & Food Festival History

Founding Wine & Food Festival Committee

Following are brief highlights of the Wine & Food Festival’s development. Since the first year, Wine Festival events have expanded, and more important, dollars raised have grown.

Click here to view the Wine & Food Festival archives.

1992

• To increase campus visibility, provide scholarship dollars to students, and engage community volunteers with the Foundation and campus, MSU Billings Foundation formed an Ad Hoc Committee to explore a special event. Dona Hagen, Gail Waller, Dottie Hollatz, Corby Skinner, Deb Dzuck, and Dr. Bruce Carpenter served as a committee liaison.
• With Dr. Carpenter’s knowledge and love of wine, a wine festival seemed to be the way to go. After researching festivals across the country and visiting a few, the MSU Billings Foundation Board approved the idea and provided start-up funds.
• Dona Hagen and Dottie Hollatz were the event’s co-chairs. Briggs Distributing Company became a partner with the Foundation, and John Decker and Bob Wier of Briggs became members of the festival committee. Marriott Food Services, under the direction of Rick Waldt, also became a partner. Major sponsors of the event were Deaconess Medical Center, Exxon Billings Refinery, Fortin Enterprises, and Norwest Bank/Norwest Capital Management.

1993 – $43,000 for student success

• The first Wine Festival was held on the campus of MSU Billings. It was a two-day event: Friday wine tasting and a Saturday gourmet dinner and live auction.
• Dottie Hollatz and Dona Hagen were the co-chairs.
• Richard Arrowood of Arrowood Winery was the first winemaster.

1994 – $62,400 for student success

• Dona Hagen, chair
• Peter Mondavi, Sr. of Charles Krug Winery and Hank Wetzel III of Alexander Valley Vineyards, winemasters

1995 – $80,500 for student success

• Dona Hagen, chair
• First Wine Wise Seminar was held
• Bill Dyer of Sterling Vineyards and Dawnine Dyer of Domaine Chandon, winemasters

1996 – $74,000 for student success

• Pat Petersen, chair
• Chris Markell of Clos du Val Wine Co., Ltd. And Hank Wetzel III of Alexander Valley Vineyards, winemasters

1997 – $104,000 for student success

• Pat Petersen, chair
• Cooking Schools began; Current Wine Festival logo adopted
• George Phalan of Dunnewood Vineyards and Winery and Sandy Rogers of Simi Winery, winemasters

1998 – $100,000 for student success

• Susan Schwidde and Donna Sweeney, co-chairs
• Bill Easton of Domaine de la Terre Rouge and Kevin Mott of Ste. Chapelle, winemasters

1999 – $188,000 for student success

• Susan Schwidde and Donna Sweeney, co-chairs
• Guest Chef Dinner began
• Ed Filice of Riverland Vineyards and Tom Larson of Sonoma Creek Winery, winemasters

2000 – $215,000 for student success

• Billie Ruff, chair
• Barry Bergman of R.H. Phillips Wine Co. and Bob and Lelo Kerivan of Bridgeview Vineyards, winemasters

2001 – $188,000 for student success

• Billie Ruff, chair
• Jon-Mark Chappellet of Chappellet Vineyard and Jean and Jerry Bookwalter of Bookwalter Winery, winemasters

2002 – $204,000 for student success

• Sharon Weatherwax-Ripley and Ben Ripley, co-chairs
• Wine 101 and Wines Around the World Tour began
• Kerry Norton of Covey Run Winery and Charles Ortman of Meridian Vineyards, winemasters

2003 – $220,500 for student success

• Sharon Weatherwax-Ripley and Ben Ripley, co-chairs
• Winemaster Dinners begin; Additional Cooking Schools added
• Kent Rosenblum of Rosenblum Cellars and Scott Henry of Henry Estates, winemasters

2004 – $285,000 for student success

• Evelyn Noennig and Cara Schaer, co-chairs
• Evening cooking schools available; Wine Wise Seminar becomes Wine 401
• Patty Bogle of Bogle Winery and Harry Wetzel IV of Alexander Valley Vineyards, winemasters

2005 – $280,000 for student success

• Evelyn Noennig and Cara Schaer, co-chairs
• Casey McClellan of Seven Hills Winery and Rick Sayre of Rodney Strong Vineyards, winemasters

2006 – $282,000 for student success

• Jane Howell and Joe Howell, co-chairs
• Jan du Prez of Leidersburg Wines and Barry Bergman of R.H. Phillips Wine Co., winemasters

2007 – $360,000 for student success

• Jane Howell and Joe Howell, co-chairs
• Winemaster Symposia introduced
• Laurie Hook of Beringer Vineyards and Don Wallace of Dry Creek Vineyards, winemasters

2008 – $335,000 for student success

• Susan Carlson and Stella Fong, co-chairs
• Dave Lattin of Kuleto Estate Winery and Linda Trotta of Gundlach Bundschu Winery, winemasters

2009 – $237,500 for student success

• Susan Carlson and Stella Fong, co-chairs
• Wine 201 and Iron Chef Competition introduced
• Gordon Hill of Milbrandt Vineyards and Bob Masyczek of Diageo Chateau and Estates, winemasters

2010 – $245,000 for student success

• Kay Bery and Joan Holbrook, co-chairs
• Private Cellar introduced
• Larry Brooks of Tolosa Winery and Eric Mohseni of Zaca Mesa Winery, winemasters

2011 – $250,000 for student success

• Kay Berry and Joan Holbrook, co-chairs
• From Pasture to Plate: A Day of Discovering the People, the Land, and the Legacy of Beef introduced
• Bob Bertheau of Chateau Ste. Michelle and Adam Sbragia of Sbragia Family Vineyards, winemasters

2012 – $288,000 for student success

• Kay Berry and Amy Gibler Brown, co-chairs
• 20th-anniversary celebration
• Bob Iantosca of Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyard and Jack Stuart of Benessere Vineyards, winemasters

2013 – $322,500 for student success

• Amy Gibler Brown & Julie Lindermann, co-chairs
• Max Erlwein of Cono Sur Vineyards and Winery, & Patrick Merry of Merry Cellars, winemasters

2014 – $311,000 for student success

• Julie Linderman and Randy Holbrook, co-chairs
• Erik Miller of Kokomo Winery and Randy Ullom of Kendall-Jackson Winery, winemasters

2015 – $306,500 for student success

• Randy Holbrook and Susan Walton, co-chairs
• Joe Shebl of Renwood Winery and Tyler Tennyson of Gordon Estate, winemasters

2016 – $345,000 for student success

• Susan Walton and Michelle Dawson, co-chairs
• Brewmaster Symposium introduced
• Joy Merrilees of Shannon Ridge Vineyards & Winery in Clearlake Oaks, California, and Marc Mondavi of Charles Krug Winery in St. Helena, California, winemasters
• Bjorn Nabozney of Big Sky Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana, brewmaster

2017 – $301,000 for student success

• Michelle Dawson and Sheila Christopherson, co-chairs
• Steve Lohr of J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines in San Jose, California, and K.R. Rombauer of Rombauer Vineyards in St. Helena, California, winemasters
• Colin McKenney of Deschutes Brewing Company in Bend, Oregon, brewmaster

2018 – $335,000 for student success

• Sheila Christopherson and Stacey Suydam, co-chairs
• Chad Johnson of Dusted Valley Vineyards in Walla Walla, Washington, and Jeremy Leffert of Rabble Wine Company in Paso Robles, California, winemasters
• Tina Rulewicz of Founders Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, brewmaster

2019 – $380,000 for student success

• Stacey Suydam and Norma Cleveland, co-chairs
• John and Lane Giguiere of Matchbook Wine Company in Zamora, California, and Ewan Proctor of Penfolds, Australia, winemasters
• Zach Nelson of KettleHouse Brewing Company in Missoula, Montana, brewmaster

2020 – $180,000 for student success

• In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the MSU Billings Foundation to cancel its signature fundraiser, the Wine & Food Festival, and replace it with a successful scholarship campaign. From this reinvented event came funding for students to continue their studies. Thank you for going above and beyond to help our students, even during such uncertain times.

2021 – $310,000 for student success

• Norma Cleveland Boyd and Cynthia Arneson, co-chairs
• Kimberlee Nicholls of Markham Vineyards and Trevor Durling of Beaulieu Vineyard, winemasters
• With the COVID-19 threat lessened, the Wine & Food Festival entertained our guests with a one-night event featuring gala gourmet dinner, live and silent auctions. Guests’ generosity was apparent with one of our most successful evenings.  

2022 – $280,000 for student success

• Cynthia Arneson and Cheryl Terry, co-chairs
• Rick Sayre of Rodney Strong Wine Estates in Healdsburg, California, winemaster

2023 – 

• Cynthia Arneson and Cheryl Terry, co-chairs
• Winemasters revealed soon!