Director of Le Chai au Quai wins the 2013 IMW Lallemand Bursary
The Institute of Masters of Wine and Lallemand are delighted to announce that the 2013 Lallemand Bursary has been awarded to Clare Tooley, who is a student in the first year of the Institute’s study programme.
The bursary, which was established in 2010, provides a funded visit to Lallemand’s annual technical conference, held this year in Lisbon, Portugal.
Lallemand, a supporter of the Institute since 20o4, is a leading producer of wine yeast, bacteria and their nutrients, and a distributor of oenological enzymes. It is a privately owned Canadian corporation present in the majority of wine producing countries. Its Oenology Division, based in Toulouse, France, is principally focussed on research and development, both in-house and in collaboration with renowned research institutes worldwide.
Clare began her wine life in 1995 in London with John Armit Wines, following a degree in French and Spanish at Cambridge University. She moved to Laithwaite’s Direct Wines Ltd. in 2000, and started out as a wine buyer prior to founding their international wholesale division. Following a move to Bordeaux with her husband and two small sons in 2006, Clare managed the Laithwaite’s French operations and subsequently the Direct Wines Group’s Wine Club interests in Germany and Switzerland.
Clare is still based in Bordeaux, and is currently the Director of the Group’s winemaking facility in the region, Le Chai au Quai (www.lechaiauquai.com). She continues to travel extensively in a sales capacity promoting the Laithwaite’s exclusive range of quality wines to the International wine trade
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Clare’s winning essay was written on the following subject: “In the context of current market trends, discuss the viticultural practices that influence aromatic compound levels in different varietals.”
Clare Tooley said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the bursary, and extremely grateful to Lallemand for the opportunity to attend their conference. It was wonderful, and a terrific learning opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Jean-Michel Valette MW, Chairman of the Institute said: “This is the fourth time that Lallemand have extended this tremendous opportunity to one of our students, and we are very grateful to them for their continuing support. I’m sure that the technical knowledge that Clare has gained, and the contacts that she has made, will prove very valuable for her future studies with the Institute.”
Ends (29.05.12)