Taylor Fladgate Port Announces Sponsorship of The Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships
Taylor Fladgate Port today announces that it has agreed with Liquid Icons and The Gerard Basset Wine Education Charitable Foundation to sponsor The Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships which will now be renamed The Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships.
The not-for-profit Golden Vines Awards will recognise excellence in the fine wine industry and raise funds for The Gerard Basset Wine Education Charitable Foundation with the aim of funding diversity and inclusion-related wine education programmes, including the headline Golden Vines Diversity Scholarship, Internship & Mentorship Programmes.
Adrian Bridge, Managing Director of Taylor Fladgate Port, commented: “We are delighted to be associated with Liquid Icons and The Gerard Basset Wine Education Charitable Foundation to support the creation of a more effective workforce in the wine trade by seeking diversity in teams. For Taylor Fladgate, increasing diversity and inclusiveness is of the upmost importance.”
Lewis Chester DipWSET, the Chief Executive Officer of Liquid Icons and Trustee of The Gerard Basset Wine Education Charitable Foundation added: “As someone of Portuguese heritage, I cannot think of a better sponsor for The Golden Vines Diversity Scholarship than Taylor Fladgate Port. Together, we can accomplish great things in creating opportunities for the BIPOC community in the wonderful world of wine, and The Taylor Fladgate Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships will inevitably help in creating the future BIPOC role models that anyone wishing to enter the wine industry from those communities can look to with a mixture of pride and inspiration.”
The Golden Vines Diversity Scholarship, Internship & Mentorship Programme will include two scholarships for aspiring black and ethnic minority students wishing to undertake the Masters of Wine (MW) and Master Sommelier (MS) programmes – open to all candidates from all over the world. These scholarships, worth up to £55,000 for each scholar, will cover the entirety of their course and examination costs, as well as loss of earnings during their work placement internships. The Internship programme includes a set of diversified work experiences with some of the world’s top wine domaines including, but not limited to Château Cheval Blanc, Château d’Yquem, Château Smith Haut Lafitte, Colgin Cellars, Dom Pérignon, Domaine Baron Thenard, Domaine des Lambrays, Domaine Laroche, Heitz Wine Cellars, Liber Pater, Opus One, Ruinart, and Weingut Egon Müller, among others, as well as academic courses at UC Davis Department of Enology & Viticulture, the WOW Wine School (Porto), the Kedge Wine School, and the OIV.
The judging panel for The Taylor Fladgate Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships is comprised of Nina Basset FIH, Rajat Parr (Sandhi Wines), Carlton McCoy MS (Heitz Cellar), Clement Robert MS (The Birley Clubs / Annabel’s) and Jancis Robinson OBE MW. The judges will also provide ongoing mentorship to the Golden Vines Diversity Scholars during their academic journey.
The application window for The Taylor Fladgate Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships closes on 16th April 2021, and all interested applicants should apply online at liquidicons.com. The application process has been devised in association with the Institute of Masters of Wine and the Court of Master Sommeliers (European Chapter).
The winners of The Taylor Fladgate Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships will be announced at The Golden Vines Awards Ceremony & Dinner to be held at Annabel’s Private Members Club on 7th October 2021. At the ceremony, The Golden Vines Awards will be awarded to the world’s best fine wine producers as voted by leading members of the global fine wine industry in the Gerard Basset Global Fine Wine Report produced by Liquid Icons, with polling having opened on 8th March 2021. Every Award Winner will be given The Golden Vines Trophy, designed and produced in collaboration with Amorim Cork of Portugal.