Best of CASE District II Award
 

Institution: St. John's College

Title of entry: Lifelong Steward of the Program: Warren Winiarski's Enduring Legacy

About this entry: In 1976, Warren Winiarski transformed the wine industry, elevated Napa Valley to the world stage, and inspired more than a dozen of his fellow St. John’s College alumni to pursue careers in winemaking. As the largest donor in the history of America’s third-oldest college, however, his goal was not to change the institution but to protect and preserve its unique identity. His final gift, a bequest that brought his total support to more than $65 million, came with a singular condition: that St. John’s remain forever committed to an education centered on the discussion of humankind's Great Books.

Following Winiarski's passing, we anticipated that major news outlets would highlight his achievements as a vintner and philanthropist. While these accomplishments are inextricably linked with St. John's College, we sought to paint a fuller portrait—one that captured Winiarski as a consummate thinker, a passionate advocate for liberal education, and a winemaker whose very approach reflected his love of learning, right down to the Foucault Pendulum in his vineyard. This message resonated deeply with the St. John’s community. After Winiarski’s passing, all the Alumni Association officers and more than two-thirds of the directors-at-large made gifts to the college in his honor.