Adirondack Winery has announced the appointment of Courtney Rankin as the organization’s inaugural female winemaker. With over six years of experience in winemaking, she will assume the responsibility of overseeing the production of over 35 wines and six hard ciders, as well as leading the development of new wine and hard cider releases for the company.
Ms. Rankin’s career started by getting involved in the craft beer industry. After completing her bachelor’s degree in film and screen studies, she changed direction to study craft beer brewing at Schenectady County Community College, where she got firsthand experience with local brewers. Through this introduction to the beverage industry, she found Galway Rock Winery in Ballston Lake. She started out apprenticing as the assistant winemaker for the owner and winemaker, Kate Soldani, learning the world of winemaking by, again, getting hands-on experience.
At Adirondack Winery, Ms. Rankin’s responsibility for wine and cider production will more than triple. Adirondack Winery’s wine production reaches 20,000 cases annually, while its Extreme Heights Cidery brand is fledgling. The Queensbury wine making facility has capacity to grow to a 50,000 case annual production volume.
Shortly after starting her new position at Adirondack Winery, Ms. Rankin demonstrated her expertise in the field by passing the Level 1 Sommelier exam. To earn this status, she had to pass a wine theory exam in which she was tested on different wine types and the various regions they represent.
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WMHT Public Media, a multichannel public communications organization serving Eastern New York and Western New England, hasannounced that Shantel Destra, managing editor and host of its Emmy Award-winning public affairs program New York NOW, has been named one of 35 Rising Stars in Public Media.
The prestigious recognition from Current, the leading trade publication serving public media, honors early- and mid-career level professionals age 36 and under who are making a difference in public media. Chosen from more than 170 nominees at public media stations and national organizations across the country, Ms.Destra was cited for exceptional contributions to her workplace, community, and public media at large.
Ms. Destra joined New York NOW in August 2023 as a multimedia journalist, and in April was promoted to managing editor and host. She has quickly gained attention as a familiar and authoritative journalist covering the state capital, interviewing elected officials and policymakers on critical issues, including housing and healthcare, birth control access and women’s rights, and the state budget process.
A native of Brooklyn, Ms.Destra earned a dual bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism and marketing management from the S.I. Newhouse and Whitman Schools at Syracuse University, and her master’s degree at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.