Four scholars awarded 2024 Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships

By James Bayley

Published: 23 September, 2024

Four individuals have been named the 2024 Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarship winners, as announced by Liquid Icons, the Gérard Basset Foundation and Taylor’s Port. The scholarships, first established in 2021, aim to support students pursuing the Master of Wine (MW) and Master Sommelier (MS) programmes.

This year, the awards were expanded to include applicants from diverse backgrounds, including those from economically disadvantaged communities and individuals affected by conflict.

The 2024 winners are Bento Amaral from Portugal, Flavia Rizzuto from Argentina, Kanchan Schindlauer from the United States and Emiliano Stratico from Argentina. Each recipient will receive funding for their studies as well as the opportunity to undertake internships with renowned wine and spirits producers.

Read more: The first Taiwanese wine debuts in London

Due to the high calibre of applicants this year, two additional students, Karene Vilela from Brazil and Xeniya Volosnikova from Kazakhstan, were awarded the Golden Vines MW Bursary, which will cover their course fees for the next year.

Adrian Bridge, CEO of Taylor’s Port, said: “We take immense pride in supporting the study of wine, an industry that unites people across continents and cultures. This year’s scholarship not only paves the way for educational opportunities but also deepens our collective appreciation for the diverse world of wine.”

This year saw 24 applications from 13 countries, spanning six continents, with over half of the applicants being women. The winners were selected based on their potential to promote diversity, inclusion and excellence within the global wine community.

The judging panel included Angela Scott, one of the 2021 scholarship winners, alongside respected names in the industry such as Jancis Robinson MW and Ronan Sayburn MS..

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