Yalumba Scholarship winners announced

Elsa Macdonald and db editor Patrick Schmitt are the winners of the 2012 Yalumba Scholarship.

This generous scholarship is awarded annually to a second-year student in the Institute of Masters of Wine’s study programme who is based outside Australia or New Zealand.

It enables the winner to attend the Institute’s annual Australasian residential seminar in Adelaide and to spend a week visiting the Yalumba vineyards, nursery and winery near Angaston.

Although a single scholarship is usually awarded, this year the judges couldn’t choose between two candidates, and decided to award two scholarships.

Elsa McDonald

However, Patrick won’t be taking up the scholarship this year as he has already planned a trip this month to visit Australia and the Yalumba Winery.

Patrick said, “I am extremely flattered to receive this hard-fought award from Yalumba, and I’m only sad I can’t take it up. However, this is because I am lucky enough to be visiting Australia for the first time this year as a guest of Wine Australia – a trip I have wanted to take ever since I started working in the industry.”

“Also, I’m pleased to say that a visit to Yalumba forms part of my itinerary, so I won’t miss out on the chance to learn more about the operation.”

Elsa said: “I am absolutely thrilled with the opportunity to study and explore with Yalumba. It’s very timely as Australia’s regional diversity and distinctions are coming to the forefront in the Canadian market.”

Elsa Macdonald was born in Scotland, and moved to Canada at the age of five.

Yalumba award a scholarship to a MW student each year

In 2003 she left a career in Management Consultancy to pursue her passion for wine via a series of regional wine courses in France and the WSET Diploma.

Elsa is currently Elsa currently directs the Constellation Brands Academy of Wine for Canada, and sits on the board of directors for the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers.

Applicants for this year’s scholarship were asked to pen an essay in response to the concept of “masstige” and diminishing brand image.

In 1,000 words, entrants had to explore and discuss the concept of high volume and high value being mutually exclusive (or not), with both actual examples and their own insights into the phenomenon.

Fifth generation Yalumba proprietor Robert Hill Smith said: “We are proud to be associated with The Institute of Masters of Wine and it is important to me that Yalumba continues to support this valuable programme. Winery experience remains an integral factor in wine education and one that we are committed to sharing with the wider wine community.

He continued, “Elsa will have the rare opportunity to immerse herself alongside our experienced viti and vini teams and absorb and question our philosophies and techniques. Our team, their knowledge and resources will be at Elsa’s disposal for the duration of her visit and this is a great opportunity for her to drill down into the real nuts and bolts of winery life and gain focussed, on-ground experience’’.

Jean-Michel Valette MW, chairman of the Institute, said: “Congratulations to the winners on their success and thanks again to the team at Yalumba for providing this wonderful learning opportunity to our students. Bringing wine communities together and facilitating the exchange of knowledge is at the heart of what the Institute does. This scholarship embodies that ethos.”