Wine Marlborough-John Avery-NZ-UK Link Foundation Fellowship

Wine is one of NZ's premier exports to the UK. The NZ-UK Link Foundation and Wine Marlborough Ltd are delighted to announce an exciting new scholarship that will be introduced in 2010, in conjunction with British Master of Wine John Avery.

Wine Marlborough and the NZ-UK Link Foundation are working together with John Avery (MW) to promote professional development through an annual wine industry scholarship, together with the region and its wines.

The Fellowship

Details are still being developed. However, the proposed objectives of the Scholarship are to introduce young wine industry professionals from the Marlborough region to industry partners in the UK and vice versa; to build and strengthen commercial links between Wine Marlborough and UK importers, distributors and retailers; and, generally to increase mutual understanding of the wine industry in both New Zealand and the UK by each country's wine growers and marketers.

A wine growing professional from Marlborough will be selected every two years to travel to the UK to study the wine business there for a period if four to six weeks. The NZ recipient will be hosted by industry personnel while in the UK with all airfares, internal travel, accommodation and approved living expenses covered by the scholarship, which will be funded by Wine Marlborough.

In the intervening years, it is intended that a wine industry professional from the UK will come to Marlborough for a similar time to study this region's wine industry. S/he will be hosted by members of Wine Marlborough, with support from the NZ-UK Link Foundation. While in the province they will be able to study first-hand the local viticulture methods, quality standards, uniqueness and export competitiveness of Marlborough.

It is hoped that the inaugural scholarship will be awarded in 2010.

Wine Marlborough Ltd is pleased to announce a new business partnership with OfficeMax. Members of Marlborough Winegrowers Association who purchase their office supplies via OfficeMax will contribute to an annual rebate from OfficeMax that will be channeled back into the industry via the newly launched Wine Marlborough – NZ/UK – Link Foundation Wine Scholarship.