IMW student David Way wins inaugural Family of Twelve Scholarship
New Zealand’s Family of Twelve, a fraternity made up of some of the country’s most prestigious and enduring artisanal wineries, has awarded its inaugural scholarship to David Way, a second year student in the Institute of Master of Wine’s Study Programme.
The brand new Family of Twelve Essay Scholarship, which was announced by Sir George Fistonich of Villa Maria at the IMW Seminar in New Zealand in November 2014, offers a privileged insight into wine-making at all twelve of the leading NZ properties in the Family.
David Way is an English wine educator and writer specialising in the wines of Italy and some French regions. His work appears mainly on his website www.winefriend.org, and features the largest coverage on the web of the up and coming region of the Maremma. In addition to writing he leads trips to select Italian and French wine regions. He entered the Master of Wine Study Programme in September 2013, and after his studies plans a project on regional expressions of Sangiovese.
David says: “I am absolutely thrilled to win the Family of Twelve prize. Along with many English wine lovers, I have long admired the purity and elegance of the wines of New Zealand. I am really looking forward to seeing its vineyards, meeting the winemakers and tasting these wines in the beautiful places where they were grown. This will be an enormous benefit to my studies and will deepen my enthusiasm further for New Zealand’s wine. I am most grateful to the Family of Twelve for this remarkable and generous opportunity.”
William Hoare, Chairman of the Family of Twelve, says “The Family are thrilled to name David as our inaugural scholar. Through his winning essay David has shown a keen understanding of and interest in New Zealand wine in the spheres of both winemaking and business. We look forward to hosting David with good kiwi hospitality and of course our fine wines. We hope the experience will be mutually beneficial for David and for the Family as we take the opportunity to learn from him as he will from the Family. Congratulations David.” David’s prize comprises a 10-12 day tour of the twelve Family of Twelve properties throughout the major wine-growing regions of New Zealand, including special tastings and discussion with their principals and winemakers.
The scholarship also includes air fares to New Zealand from David’s home in the UK.
Penny Richards, Executive Director of the Institute of Masters of Wine, said “This is going to be an unforgettable learning experience for David. We are delighted for him, and very grateful to those who are going to be hosting him. This inaugural Family of Twelve scholarship was something that really excited our students, and we hope that this will lead to a long and fruitful relationship between the Institute and the Family.”
Selection for the scholarship, which was open to all second-year students in the Institute of Masters of Wine’s Study Programme, was by an essay addressing one of the following two topics:
Is fine wine an old people’s game? If so, how does one bring the younger generation into spending their hard earned income on better bottles?
Or:
New Zealand has entered many global markets with great success, particularly with Sauvignon Blanc. How does it now build and strengthen its reputation as a producer of fine wine?
The Institute of Masters of Wine is very grateful to the Family of Twelve for offering this unique learning opportunity to our students.
Ends (24 Feb 2014)
Please contact:
Ben McKeown
Communications Manager, Institute of Masters of Wine
T: +44 (0)207 383 9131
E: bmckeown@mastersofwine.org
www.twitter.com/mastersofwine
www.facebook.com/mastersofwine
William Hoare Chairman – The Family of Twelve
T:+64 3 572 9355
E: William@frommwinery.co.nz
Tweets by FamilyofXll
www.facebook.com/familyoftwelve
Notes to Editors:
The Institute of Masters of Wine
There are 318 Masters of Wine today, working in 24 countries. The Membership encompasses winemakers, buyers, journalists, shippers, business owners, consultants, academics, and wine educators. The Institute of Masters of Wine, which is a non-profit organisation, stands for excellence, interaction, and learning. The Institute, which has its headquarters in London, runs courses, events and examinations on four continents. In addition to passing the Institute’s exams, Masters of Wine are required to sign the Code of Conduct and join the Institute before they are entitled to the initials ‘MW’. The Code of Conduct insists that Masters of Wine should act with honesty and integrity, and use every opportunity to share their understanding of wine with others. There are currently 321 students, from 38 countries, in the Master of Wine Study Programme.
The Family of Twelve
The Family of Twelve is a fraternity of twelve of New Zealand’s most prestigious and enduring artisanal wineries. Founded in 2005, the Family’s vision is to nurture long term relationships with an emphasis on education in their key export markets. The promotion of New Zealand wine at its best is paramount. The common thread that binds the members of this family is that we strive for perfection. You can hear it in the conversations; there is a restlessness, a constant looking forward. Our family table has only twelve seats, saved for twelve winemaking families from around our country. We each bring to the table only what is good enough to be shared by the family seated, so if it’s not in the glass at our table, it certainly won’t be going to yours. The Family of Twelve: Kumeu River – Villa Maria – The Millton Vineyard – Craggy Range – Ata Rangi – Palliser Estate – Neudorf Vineyards – Nautilus Estate – Fromm Winery – Lawson’s Dry Hills – Pegasus Bay – Felton Road.