Wine and Viticulture Department Head Benoit Lecat was honored as an industry leader by Wine Business Monthly, a well-known publication of wine industry news. As mentioned in the article,

Cal Poly SLO has quickly come on to the scene as one of the premier winemaking and viticulture schools thanks in large part to Dr. Benoit Lecat, who has served as its department head since 2015. His “learn by doing” approach has helped students graduate ready to jump into most winery operations and, with an importance placed on business and marketing as well, ready to start their own businesses. His passion for educating the next generation of vintners and industry professionals has culminated in the creation of the JUSTIN and J. Lohr Center for Wine and Viticulture, a state-of-the-art 27,600-square-foot, student-operated winery.