Sonoma wine luminaries and Gavin Newsom grab shovels at SSU

Check out who showed up for the wine biz ground breaking down the road.|

The Wine Business Institute will soon call an impressive new $9 million facility home. Sonoma State University broke ground on Wednesday, June 1 on a new 15,000 sq. ft. building will include classrooms, a student commons with areas for collaboration and student-run businesses; and an industry center with space for professional and academic faculty and program leadership. The facility is expected to open in mid-2017.

Funds from the new building came from Korbel owner Gary Heck, as well as a three million dollar gift from Marvin R. Shanken, editor and publisher of Wine Spectator magazine.

Tim Wallace, formerly of Benziger Winery, is the Wine Business Institute's executive in residence.

The building will be called the Wine Spectator Learning Center.

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