IMW employee wins £4k bursary to write book on Indian wine

Drinks Business contributor and Institute Master of Wine education manager Peter Csizmadia-Honigh has been named winner of Geoffrey Roberts Award for 2014.

Peter Csizmadia-Honigh

Peter, a Hungarian who relocated to the UK in 2005, was given the honour for his intention to publish the first ever book on Indian wines.

The award entitles him to a £4,000 bursary from the Vintners’ Company, which Peter will put towards research for the planned publication.

Commenting on Peter’s submission for the Geoffrey Roberts Award, Bibendum Wine director and judge for the competition Willie Lebus commented, “Peter’s submission would have pleased Geoffrey Roberts enormously. It involves opening up the potential of a new world of wine, in this case India, and offering an inquisitive audience the opportunity to discover its marvelous emerging wines.”

Susan McCraith MW, who also took part in the judging process, said Peter’s application was “innovative and timely, as we are seeing more good quality wines yet we know very little about this up and coming country.”

Peter, who has held a longstanding interest in the emergence of quality wine production in India, wrote an extensive article for db on the country’s growing wine culture, which was published earlier this year, and can be read here.

The Geoffrey Roberts Award is open to applicants of any nationality and more information can be found here.

Peter will be presented with his award at a lunch at Vintners’ Hall in the City of London later this month.

The award was launched in memory of a wine merchant by the same name who died in 1994 aged 30, and you can read more about his life here.

Entry for the 2015 award will be open during the first three months of 2015.