As valuable members of the wine community continue to be affected by COVID-19 interruptions, the Cork Quality Council has pledged their support by donating $30,000 to the United Sommeliers Foundation. This fund provides financial relief to sommeliers, bartenders, tasting room personnel, and other members of the wine community.
Restaurants, Bars and Tasting Rooms have been closed in California since Governor Newsom’s directive on March 15th. Similar directives are in effect across the country. According to Peter Weber of the CQC, “We want to show our support for the people who present wine to the public. These are the people who use our products the most.” The United Sommeliers Foundation issues grants to wine servers who are unable to work due to current business restrictions.
In addition to the monetary donation, the Cork Quality Council has developed an in-home educational tool for wine professionals. The Cork Certification Course is available at www.aboutcork.org. The Cork Quality Council believes that learning and understanding the unique and complex characteristics of natural cork will increase your perspective and knowledge of wine.
About The Cork Quality Council: The Cork Quality Council is a nonprofit organization founded to promote education and improve quality assurance procedures for the wine and cork industries. The group conducts research into the elimination of wine taints related to natural cork and promotes operational practices that ensure the highest performance available for wine closures. Member companies are: Amorim Cork America, Cork Supply USA, Lafitte Cork & Capsule, M.A. Silva Corks USA, Portocork, and Scott Laboratories.
About The United Sommeliers Foundation: The United Sommeliers Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to provide information and immediate financial assistance to Sommeliers experiencing a pause or termination of employment due to circumstances beyond their control. The organization assists sommeliers nationwide and was founded by several of the industry’s leading experts with more than 100 years combined experience and knowledge. The organization’s goal is to positively impact the wine industry and the sommelier community for years to come. For more information, please visit www.unitedsommeliersfoundation.org