Roots Fund Auction Raises Over $400K For Wine Industry Diversity Efforts

Natasha Hall was processing catastrophe insurance claims when she learned about the Roots Fund. In search of a new path, she reached out to the nonprofit organization, which is dedicated to helping minorities enter the wine industry.

- SHAWN ZYLBERBERG

Now, she works as an Atlanta-based wine writer. Hall was one of many Roots Fund scholars who attended the organization’s charity auction gala at the Chelsea Piers Lighthouse in New York City on April 27: A thrilling night of food and wine, with bids that raised more than $200,000. An online auction raised an additional $215,000, for a total of $415,000 for the charity.

“The Roots Fund was instrumental in helping me find a pathway to the industry by providing support, mentorship and opportunity,” Hall told Wine Spectator. The organization provided Hall with educational scholarships, a sponsored wine trip to Paso Robles and a writing mentor.

The auction event was held in partnership with Wine Spectator and Zachys. In 2020, the Wine Spectator Scholarship Foundation donated $100,000 to the Roots Fund to provide scholarships within its Rooted in Education and Stay Rooted in Education programs; the former focuses on wine certification courses, while the latter provides college tuition support for winemakers and others in the wine business.