New wine course blends insights from the best

Monday, 28 May 2018

An innovative new short course will give industry professionals access to the best minds from two of the world’s greatest wine locations: Adelaide, Australia and Bordeaux, France.

The University of Adelaide's Business School and the KEDGE Wine and Spirits Academy in Bordeaux have designed a joint program to share learnings and experiences of the two premier wine regions with the international wine community.

The 10-day course will be launched today, 29 May, at the Vinexpo, Hong Kong – the Asia-Pacific wine industry exhibition and conference – will see participants immersed in each region for five days.

The course will provide intensive learning opportunities, including exclusive access to vineyard tours and master classes led by chief winemakers. Alongside this, a tailored academic program will cover subjects such as research and development, global market insights, wine marketing, and consumer behaviour. 

“This unique and immersive program has been designed to allow people from all over the world to learn from the experiences of experts from two of the world’s greatest wine regions,” says Marni Ladd, Director the University of Adelaide’s Wine Business Program. “Participants will learn from the best academics and business leaders not just about the science of wine, but also about future challenges in the wine business.”

The program comes as a direct result of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Adelaide Business School and KEDGE Business School last year.

“France and Australia’s wine-making histories and experiences are different but very complimentary,” says Professor Jacques-Olivier Pesme, Director of the KEDGE Wine and Spirits Academy. “As such, the experiences, practices, and technologies of these two regions provide different perspectives which are among the most successful ones in the world of wine. This polarity is what make this program so unique; a truly holistic learning experience.” 

Speaking at Vinexpo, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Anne Ruston said the course will take advantage of existing and emerging market opportunities.

“Australian wine producers have never been so connected with the world as the global demand for our wine only grows,” Minister Ruston said. 

“I wish the university and academy every success in the project.” 

The new course will be launched at an event during Vinexpo which will be attended by wine business leaders, industry bodies, dignitaries and University of Adelaide and KEDGE Wine and Spirits Academy alumni, as well as the Great Wine Capitals Global Network community. 

Vinexpo Hong Kong 2018, involving the participation of both the University of Adelaide and KEDGE, is the most influential wine and spirits trade fair in Asia. This year, the fair celebrates Australia as the ‘Country of Honour’. 

Expressions of interest for the new course are now open.

Pictured at the signing of the MOU: (L2R) Professor Christopher Findlay, Executive Dean, Faculty of the Professions, The University of Adelaide; Professor Jacques-Olivier Pesme, Director of the KEDGE Wine & Spirits Academy; Ms Marni Ladd, Director the Wine Business Program, The University of Adelaide; Mr Peter Gago, South Australia's Great Wine Capitals Global Ambassador. High-res version of the image is available on request.

Background:

The KEDGE Wine & Spirits Academy is based in Bordeaux, worldwide capital of wine. With a presence at the heart of the various bodies of the wine-producing industry, relaying information and influence, the Wine & Spirits Academy not only has the aim of training managers in the wine and spirits sector but also of supporting changes in the industry by offering help in decision-making, by developing local & international projects to provide economic support to stakeholders and by channelling momentum.

The University of Adelaide Wine Business Program provides specialist education in wine business and market development, customised to the specific needs of the domestic and global wine trade. Underpinned by a blended learning approach, with significant involvement from industry experts and a unique emphasis on the wine production and sales industry, the program combines cutting edge, world-best-practice wine marketing know-how with working knowledge and skills in both winemaking and viticulture. This enables graduates to positively impact the entire wine value chain—a capability demanded of wine business professionals worldwide.

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