Lallemand awards 2018 Masters of Wine student bursary

The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) and Lallemand are pleased to announce Master of Wine student Tufi Meyer as the winner of the Lallemand bursary.

The bursary, established in 2010, was open to students in the Institute’s Master of Wine study programme. Entrants were asked to write a 1,000-word essay on the following topic set by Lallemand: Discuss different strategies for producing wine with low or no SO2. Is there global demand from consumers for such wines?

Due to the exceptional level of writing, Lallemand also awarded a second prize to Tao Platon, an MW student based in Spain.

Tufi said: “It is a great honour and distinction to receive the Lallemand Prize, a feat to be proud of in my vinous career. To be able to attend the IMW Symposium in Logroño, as a result, will greatly contribute to my efforts and labours of the MW journey. The research needed to write the essay has allowed me to learn much about the very important and up-to-date subject of sulphur dioxide reduction in winemaking. I thank and congratulate Lallemand for sponsoring this very stimulating prize.”

Tao echoed the same sentiment: “I am very grateful to Lallemand for giving me this award that will allow me to attend the most important wine event of the year. I also enjoyed a lot finding out about the subject of the essay because, as an enologist, I am very interested in the SO2 topic.”

Tufi is a graduate of UFMG Medical School and has been a professor at University of Vale do Rio Verde (UninCor) since 1979. He extended his abilities and experience as a teacher to wine education – he is also a WSET Certified Educator (up to Level 3), a French Wine Scholar certified educator, and a Sherry Certified Educator. He lives and works in Brazil’s Southeast, teaching independently and at The Wine School Brazil (WSET APP), mainly in São Paulo but also in several other cities through the country. He organises and conducts courses and tastings in many Brazilian important wine events.

Tao graduated in Enology from the University of Valladolid, obtaining the award for extraordinary academic merit. He has made wine in Bordeaux, the Spanish Duero, New Zealand and Burgundy, learning about different winemaking philosophies and techniques. On his travels, he developed a global perspective and a strong desire to contribute to a more authentic and sustainable world of wine. Tao is currently with Peninsula Vinicultores as head winemaker.