February 7 – Liquid Icons – the fine wine content research and production company founded by the late great Gstarrard Basset OBE MW MS and his friend Lewis Chester DipWSET – today announced the opening of the application window for The 2022 Taylor‘s Porto Golden Vines® Diversity Scholarships. Candidates can apply online at: https://liquidicons.com/work/
42 applicants from 23 countries applied for the 2021 scholarships, which saw Angela Scott, USA and Dr Erna Blancquaert, South Africa win the award-winning scholarships. This year, an additional scholarship will be funded. The application window is open until Friday, April 8, 2022.
Taylor‘s Porto Golden Vines® The Diversity Scholarship, Internship and Mentorship Program is for Black and minority ethnic students who wish to undertake the Master of Wine (MW) and Master Sommelier (MS) programs. – open to candidates from all over the world. These scholarships, worth up to £55,000 for each scholarship holder, will cover all of their course and examination costs, as well as the loss of earnings during their internships in companies.
The internship program includes a set of diverse work experiences with some of the countries of the world‘s best wineries and spirits distilleries: Bodega Catena Zapata, Castiglion del Bosco, ChaChateau Cheval Blanc, Chawater‘Yquem, Ch.aSmith-Haut-Lafitte, Lapostolle Clos Apalta, Caves Colgin, Dom PErignon, Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, Domaine Baron Thénard, Domaine des Lambrays, Domaine Laroche, Klein Constantia, Lawrence Wine Estates (Heitz Cellars, Stony Hill Vineyard, Ink Grade Estate and Burgess Cellars), Liber Pater, Marchesi Antinori, Opus One, Ruinart, Symington Family Estates, Taylor‘s Port, Macallan Distillery, VilafontstarVina Vik, Weingut Egon Mago. Also, Amorim Cork, Annabel‘s Private Members Club, Kedge Wine School, Octavian Wine Vaults, OIV, UC Davis Department of Enology and Viticulture and WOW Wine School (Porto) will also offer academic courses or experience opportunities of work to the winners.
Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of Taylor‘s Port, added: “golden vines® Fundraising program for the awards, launched in 2021 to honor the legacy of Gstarrard Basset, is a remarkable program with global reach. This shows how the wine industry can play an important leadership role in many areas, but particularly around diversity and inclusiveness. taylor‘s Port is a proud sponsor of Golden Vines® The diversity scholarships that we are thrilled to see unite the entire global wine industry around this worthy cause.”
In addition to the 3x Taylor‘s Porto Golden Vines® Scholarships, 4x golden vines® Master of Wine & Master Sommelier Scholarships will also be awarded by the jury. The Master of Wine & Master Sommelier Scholarship Program is also for aspiring Black and Ethnic Minority Scholarships and is worth £12,500 each to cover their full course and examination fees for the Master of Wine or Master Sommelier programs.
Finally, the Wine Scholar Guild (WSG) will continue to sponsor 10 golden vines® WSG Scholarships in 2022, awarded by the jury of students applying to the Taylor‘s Porto Golden Vines® Diversity and Golden Vines® Master of Wine & Master Sommelier scholarships.
The 2022 scholarship jury includes Angela Scott, the 2021 Taylor‘s Porto Golden Vines® Diversity Scholarship Winner, Nina Basset FIH, Rajat Parr (Sandhi Wines), Clement Robert MS (The Birley Clubs / Annabel‘s) and, Chief Justice, Jancis Robinson OBE MW. The judges will also provide ongoing mentorship to The Golden Vines® Diversity Scholars throughout their college journey.
Lewis Chester DipWSET, CEO of Liquid Icons, Honorary Chairman and Head of Fundraising at GstarThe rard Basset Foundation commented: “Following last year’s success‘s Golden Vines® event, where we collected more than £1.2 million for the Foundation, we are able to offer 3x Taylor‘s Porto Golden Vines® Diversity scholarships and 4x Master of Wine & Master Sommelier scholarships for the coming year. We are also happy to be able to continue to offer 10 Golden Vines® WSG scholarships, all awarded by our expert jury. Nina Basset and I know how great Gstarrard would have been to see the efforts being made in his name to help change the face of the wine, spirits and hospitality industry by providing these incredible opportunities for people of color who want to reach the top of the industry.”
The Taylor Winners‘s Porto Golden Vines® Diversity Fellowships will receive their awards at The 2022 golden vines® AWARDS CEREMONY which will be held in Florence, Italy, from Friday October 14 to Monday October 17, 2022. During the ceremony, The Golden Vines® Awards will be given to the world‘s top fine wine producers voted by leading members of the global fine wine industry in the Gstarrard Basset Global Fine Wine Report produced by Liquid Icons, with survey opening March 7, 2021.
About the Gérard Basset Foundation:
Set up to honor the legacy and memory of Gerard Basset OBE MW MS by addressing the wine, spirits and hospitality industries‘ the most pressing problems through education, training and mentoring, the Gérard Basset Foundation includes a multidisciplinary team of cutting-edge professionals: Lewis Chester DipWSET as Honorary Chairman and Head of Fundraising and Nina Basset FIH, Romanstar Basset, Ian Harris MBE DipWSET and Jancis Robinson OBE MW as Founding Trustees.
About Liquid Icons:
Liquid icons is a fine wine content research and production company founded by two friends to “do stuff in wine” – the late great Gérard Basset OBE MW MS and Lewis Chester DipWSET. We create first class original content and world research‘s finest fine wines and spirits. Our work encompasses filmmaking, industrial research, recognizing and celebrating excellence in wine and spirits, charitable and fundraising activities, and educational initiatives.
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