This is the second of a series of three articles about student experiences during the Spring 2023 Be World Ready (BWR) program’s International Field Studies (IFS).
Niagara College’s aspiring winemakers had a life-changing experience while gaining exposure to ancient viticulture practices on the Be World Ready (BWR) International Field Studies (IFS) trip to Georgia, April 22 to May 7.
The trip was led by School of Food & Wine Sciences Professor, Gavin Robertson and Associate Dean of Culinary, Tourism & Beverage Studies, Maija Saari.
The Cradle of Wine itinerary allowed a group of NC’s Winery and Viticulture Technician students to discover the place with the earliest evidence of winemaking (5900 BC) and the longest winemaking tradition in the world. The Republic of Georgia is also home to four United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites.
This opportunity was funded in part by Global Skills Opportunity, the Government of Canada’s Outbound Student Mobility Pilot Program.
Second-year Winery and Viticulture Technician student, Joao Pereira.
“My expectations about the trip were high, but Georgia exceeded them by far,” said Joao Pereira, second-year Winery and Viticulture Technician student who is originally from Brazil. “Being aligned with wine history and considering the astonishing number of native grapevines in Georgia, the trip was crucial to my studies. We visited many wineries and vineyards, connected with winemakers and scholars, and visited museums of wine and religious temples where viticulture was important.”
Second- year Winery and Viticulture Technician student Kayla Brown was fascinated to discover how 8,000-year-old techniques are still being used by Georgian winemakers inspire and enhance winemakers’ abilities today.
“The wines being made are not only unique but of high quality,” said Brown. “This trip allowed me to see a completely different approach to winemaking and viticulture while experiencing a different culture. This exposure gave me the confidence to pursue working in different countries in the future since the world of wine is global.”
For student Montserrat De Los Rios, the chance to network with the Georgian wine community and winemaking students and faculty at Caucasus International University are among the highlights of the trip. De Los Rios recently completed NC’s Winery and Viticulture Technician program this Spring.
“The trip gave me a deeper understanding of the wine industry in Georgia because I was not just reading about it anymore, I was experiencing it,” said De Los Rios. “It was also great having NC’s faculty on the trip, and I felt supported and secure knowing that they were travelling with us.”
For more information about BWR, visit: www.beworldready.ca/
Read the previous article of this series below:
BWR International Field Study trip to Italy helps NC students get world-ready.
