Jane Anson announces scholars for Bordeaux Mentor Week

By James Bayley

Published: 19 May, 2022

Since the announcement of Bordeaux Mentor Week in March 2022, more than 103 applications have been received from 28 countries, spanning the globe from Lagos to Beirut to Sydney to San Francisco.

Taking place in the Bordeaux region from 26-30 September 2022, the programme will be hosted by Jane Anson, author of Inside Bordeaux and founder of janeanson.com. Anson will also serve as one of three mentors alongside Nigerian-born Chinedu Rita Rosa, owner of Vines By Rosa consultancy specialising in importing wines across Africa, as well as Treasure Makwanise, Zimbabwe-born star chef who has managed a variety of innovative restaurant kitchens, including both One&Only in Cape Town and One&Only Nyungwe House in Rwanda.

“I know how important mentors have been in my own career,” says Anson, “not just in terms of gaining access but in gaining confidence. I also know that Bordeaux is a region that can be difficult to penetrate and yet offers real potential for career advancement for those interested in working in the wine industry.”

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“But more importantly, it’s time for us to take a stand and speak out against tokenism in the wine industry,” adds Anson. “The idea of Bordeaux Mentor Week is to empower some of the more under-represented members of our community so that each of them can return home with new knowledge, new skill sets, new contacts, and a renewed sense of excitement about the future. Equity and inclusion are key, but we also need to focus on empowering others and putting long-term support structures in place.”

The 7 Bordeaux Mentor Week 2022 Scholars are as follows:

Audrey Annoh-Antwi – Haggerston, England (born in Ghana) – sommelier
Tracy Blessing Williams – Lagos, Nigeria – customer service manager
Zintle Mkhize – Johannesburg, South Africa – food & beverage supervisor
Isabelle Mueller – Lausanne, Switzerland – sommelier
Shane Shadrack Mumba – Stellenbosch, South Africa – sommelier
Fernando Nieves – San Juan, Puerto Rico – fine wine sales representative
Tanmay Rathod – Cahors, France (born in India) – manager/head sommelier

During Mentor Week, the seven Scholars will have the chance to meet with start-up companies and wine innovators, obtain insider details about the Place de Bordeaux, and learn from seasoned industry professionals.

Each Scholar will also be paired with additional mentors based on their specific area of interest.

Several sponsors have donated their time and resources to Bordeaux Mentor Week, including Quo Global, Club DVin, IWSC Foundation, Château La Lagune and Vignobles Bernard Magrez. Further sponsors will be announced in the future.

Applications for Bordeaux Mentor Week 2023 will be open from 1 March to 30 April 2023 and can be sent to hello@janeanson.com.

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