Neal Family Vineyards is pleased to announce it has raised over $35,900 for local, college-bound scholars pursuing agricultural studies.

Established in 2014, the Neal Family Scholarship is awarded annually to students who have attended four years of agriculture classes at St. Helena High School while maintaining a 3.50 GPA and who have been accepted to attend a four-year university. Awardees receive $16,000 over the four-year term while enrolled in an agricultural curriculum.

This year’s Neal Family Scholarships were awarded to Talia Ricci who will be attending the University of California, Berkeley and Arleth Bautista who will be attending Cal Poly San Luis Obispo starting in the fall.

Established in 1998, Neal Family Vineyards specializes in crafting Cabernet Sauvignon from meticulously farmed, 100% biodynamic, and 100% estate vineyards. The estate winery announces the awardees during the Neal Family Cellar Depletion Dinner and Fundraiser which takes place annually in May and features a live auction where all proceeds go to support the St. Helena Future Farmers of America (FFA) Program. Since 2014, Neal Family Vineyards has raised $284,000 to support this program.

“We are proud to have awarded 17 scholarships for students pursuing agricultural studies,” said Neal Family Vineyard’s vintner, founder and owner, Mark Neal. “We are dedicated to ethical farming practices and offer this scholarship to further our commitment to the next generation of farmers. We look forward to supporting these bright young students develop new skills and techniques that will benefit agricultural practices for years to come.”