Uncorking Opportunity

Meet Toni Ketrenos, Linfield’s New Wine Education Director

By Annelise Kelly

Linfield University in McMinnville has hired Toni Ketrenos as its new director of the Center for Wine Education.

TONI KETRENOS’ MISSION

“My number one goal is to help more people get a great career in the wine business,” asserts Ketrenos. “To accomplish that, I plan to grow enrollment in our graduate, undergraduate and Wine & Spirit Education Trust, or WSET, programs– and to expand wine education at Linfield.”

For Ketrenos, education at its best “should inspire someone to keep learning. That’s the best thing I’ve gotten from my college education– a curiosity to always want to know more. Whether that’s going on to get my master’s degree, taking the WSET diploma or just saying, ‘hey, I really want to learn more about how soil changes the flavor of wine.’”

In her new position, Ketrenos intends to increase awareness of Linfield’s wine programs. She wants to expand online and hybrid certificate offerings for working professionals, and to make wine education more accessible to broader audiences through Linfield’s WSET certifications, on-campus lectures and community-focused educational experiences.

“Wine touches so many disciplines– history, science, business, agriculture, culture and hospitality,” Ketrenos notes. “Our programs help students see those connections while preparing them for meaningful careers. I also want the Center for Wine Education to be a place where members of the community can continue learning throughout their lives.”

LINFIELD’S WINE EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Linfield University, founded in 1858, is an independent, nonprofit university with campuses in McMinnville and Portland. The liberal arts college offers practical undergraduate education in more than 50 majors, plus master’s degrees in business, nursing and sports sciences.

The undergraduate wine studies program is unique for its interdisciplinary approach, which pairs business, science and liberal arts with hands-on industry experiences. It prepares graduates for careers across every segment of the wine industry while also allowing experienced wine professionals the opportunity to expand their expertise.

The wine program is “housed within the School of Business, so students understand the global business of wine,” explains Ketrenos. “But it’s not merely a business program– we’re teaching them how to understand the industry from the vineyard to the marketplace. They learn viticulture and winemaking alongside marketing, statistics, public speaking and critical thinking. That’s the power of an interdisciplinary liberal arts education: students leave with both wine industry expertise and the adaptable skills to build a career wherever the industry takes them.”

Linfield’s location in the heart of the Willamette Valley offers tangible benefits. “Our classes can easily go out in a 90-minute period, drop in and get hands-on experience or see what’s truly happening, whether it’s in hospitality, marketing, winemaking or the vineyard. We can jump in a van, take a whole class out to a nearby winery and be back in time for lunch,” shares Ketrenos.

This proximity also promotes fruitful collaborations with new and established wineries. “We are so lucky to have great industry partners, including Domaine Serene and plenty of other wineries, so I’m looking at growing our internship program. We already have some success stories, such as students interning in marketing at Soter Vineyards. They loved our students so much we’re now trying to make that an annual program. We hope to always have a student working with them and learning new skills.” She’ll also work with other wineries to give students opportunities in a variety of wine-industry specialties.

In the interest of maximizing benefit to people in the industry, Linfield has “a fully online graduate certificate in Wine Business Leadership. It’s a four-month-long program that helps professionals build their toolbox of skills with the courses Wine Marketing and Hospitality; Wine Sales; Wine Business Leadership; and Strategic Wine Production,” explains Ketrenos. “It’s designed for current wine professionals, new winery entrepreneurs and people who’d like to transfer their professional experience to the wine industry. We know that not everyone interested in graduate-level courses can devote the time and financial resources to a full-time, in-person program. They can apply these credits toward a Master of Science in Wine Business Leadership degree at any point in the future, however.”

A BACKGROUND IN WINE AND MARKETING

Ketrenos graduated from Linfield with a bachelor’s in Mass Communications in 1995. As an undergrad, she also studied print journalism with a French minor, “which was the wine connection. I was a little bit of a Navy brat, and moved around quite a bit. But when I was looking at schools, Linfield felt right for me, so I moved to Oregon and never left.” She earned a Master’s Degree in Digital Audience Strategy from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University.

In the beginning, all of her winery education “was in the field. So, the vast majority of it was learning bottle by bottle, particularly as the corporate wine and beer buyer at New Seasons Market. I was tasting 50 wines a week and had amazing sales reps who brought me all kinds of things.” She also held leadership positions with Winebow, a large wine company with both wine import and distribution operations.

“When deciding to formalize my education, I considered both the master sommelier and WSET programs. After deciding WSET was the better fit, I completed the Level 3 in an intensive format. A couple years later, I earned my WSET Level 4 Diploma of Wine and Spirits.” She’s also a Certified Specialist of Wine from the Society of Wine Educators.

Since joining Linfield in 2020, Ketrenos has helped connect students with internships, developed industry-focused curriculum and incorporated WSET certification into student learning. Starting as an associate instructor, Ketrenos soon advanced to assistant professor of practice. It was instantly fulfilling.

“For me, the most fun part of wine is sharing the knowledge– why we like what’s in the glass and what makes it that way. So, when the fulltime educator position opened at Linfield, I had to go for it. And, thankfully, I was given that opportunity. I really love it.”

Ketrenos continues, “I experience such joy seeing the light bulbs go off, those moments where you can see on students’ faces, ‘I got it. Oh, that makes sense.’ Or when they come up after class and have more questions– sometimes, that’s the best indicator they truly understand,” she declares. “I like to tell friends from my sales and distribution days that hitting your goals and knowing that you’re getting that bonus was always a great feeling. But for me, hearing one of my graduates just landed their first position or one of our alums was hired for their dream job is even more satisfying.”

Ketrenos won’t be entirely out of the classroom in her new position. She’ll be leading a study abroad class in France this January. “I will probably still teach a WSET class here and there because I love doing it so much, and I will guest speak or pick up a class here and there, but unfortunately, teaching won’t be the full-time part of my job anymore,” she acknowledges.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

When Ketrenos reflects back on her career, the unifying trajectory “has been helping organizations grow. That’s where I think I can make the biggest impact– continuing to strengthen what already exists while expanding opportunities for more learners.”

She explains, “I want to bring more attention to digital marketing and to focus on the next generations. We need to bring in creativity and a better understanding of who is the new consumer. It’s important to look at new majority consumers and what they might want in wine. How do we market to them in language that makes them feel comfortable?” asks Ketrenos.

“Also, I don’t agree that Gen Z is a lost cause for wine. They’re actually uniquely poised to really love this product. We need to speak to them rather than lecturing at them. They adore authenticity, sustainability, culture and history. We must make it easy to start. We can’t forget they don’t have a lot of money. Many think they may never own a home. So how do we invite them in instead of pushing them away?”

She also wants to serve the larger community beyond traditional Linfield students. “I would like to grow opportunities here for people to explore their curiosity, whether that’s taking a formal WSET course or coming in for one of our wine lectures or guest speakers.”

As Ketrenos settles into her leadership role, she’s eager to shape the next generation of Oregon wine professionals. She’s focused on building pathways for ambitious wine professionals to make their mark on the industry.

After living in Denmark, the Netherlands, L.A. and the Bay Area, writer Annelise Kelly settled in Portland, where she delights in food carts, Douglas firs, dancing and getting crafty. Thanks to Annelise’s broad interests, her career path has weaved through cooking, events, technical writing, decorative painting and retail display. Wanderlust takes her across borders and oceans every chance she gets. Connect with Annelise at annelisekelly.com.