25 Nov 2008 - a first winner has just been announced, a young South African woman. See details here.
Hard on the heels of news of the scholarship for a young South African in London at the wine emporium Green and Blue, Dombeya Wines of Stellenbosch announce the establishment of The Dombeya Scholarship, designed to provide an outstanding South African graduate student from a disadvantaged background with study and employment opportunities in Australia.
The chosen candidate will be employed during vintage for six weeks at Voyager Estate in Margaret River, beginning 16 Feb 2009. Following this, they will spend a week of research in the Oenology Department of the University of Adelaide (a prize of value to any wine professional anywhere, I would have thought) followed by a further week of practical experience at Kaesler Wines in the Barossa Valley.
“This has been over a year in the making and we're delighted that so many inspirational people in the Australian wine industry have bought into the initiative,” commented Australian ex-professional golfer Grant Dodd, who is a partner in Dombeya Wines in South Africa. “In particular, I should make mention of Alex Wright of Voyager Estate, Reid Bosward of Kaesler Wines, and Brian Croser, who needs no introduction. All have willingly given their support, without which this could not have become a reality. I would also like to recognise the support of Mbazima Shilowa (Premier of Gauteng, South Africa), who has made a valuable commitment in agreeing to be the patron of the scholarship.”
Dombeya’s winemaker is the talented and award winning winemaker Rianie Strydom, with whom I judged at the Trophy Wine Show last year. Voyager Estate in Western Australia’s Margaret River has a unique connection to South Africa; the winery’s design is inspired, rather eerily, by the Cape Dutch buildings seen by the owned Michael Wright when he visited Stellenbosch in the 1980s. Wright used a South African architect and landscaper in the building of Voyager Estate, and the Rainbow Nation's influence extends as far as the winery restaurant, where all furniture and crockery has been imported from South Africa. Reid Bosward of Kaesler Wines meanwhile was a winemaker at the Helderberg co-operative winery in Stellenbosch for two seasons in the 1990s.
“It is our hope that The Dombeya Scholarship will play a key role in unearthing future wine industry leaders from previously disadvantaged backgrounds,” commented Dodd. “The opportunity to work and study under some of Australia's most innovative winemakers and academics can only produce positive outcomes. The lessons learned in the process will provide an invaluable grounding for a career in the wine industry and will also hopefully inspire others to follow.”
Technical knowledge, academic record and performance in an interview before The Dombeya Scholarship board will determine the eventual winner. The approximate value of the scholarship is 70,000 rand. The successful candidate will be announced in November 2008.