Mentor Week 2022: announcing the seven Scholars for the first edition

Focusing on equity, inclusion and empowerment, Jane Anson announces the names of the seven Scholars who will attend the first Bordeaux Mentor Week taking place from 26th – 30th September 2022.

 19^th May 2022 – For Immediate Release

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Since the announcement of Bordeaux Mentor Week was made in March 2022, more than 103 applications for this innovative mentor programme were received from 28 countries, spanning the globe from Lagos to Beirut to Sydney to San Francisco.

Taking place in the Bordeaux region between 26^th – 30^th 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 the continent of 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.”

“But more importantly, it’s time for us to take a stand and speak out against tokenism in the wine industry,” says Anson. “The idea of Bordeaux Mentor Week is to empower our brilliant Scholars 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:

1. Audrey Annoh-Antwi – Haggerston, England – sommelier
2. Tracy Blessing Williams – Lagos, Nigeria – customer service manager
3. Zintle Mkhize – Johannesburg, South Africa – food & beverage supervisor
4. Isabelle Mueller – student at École hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland
5. Shane Shadrack Mumba – Stellenbosch, South Africa – sommelier
6. Fernando Nieves – San Juan, Puerto Rico – fine wine sales representative
7. Tanmay Rathod – Cahors, France (born in India) – manager/head sommelier

Accommodations will be provided by 1855 classified growth Château La Lagune in the Haut-Médoc.

During Bordeaux 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, including how it works and how it is evolving, learn from seasoned industry professionals about wine marketing and selling strategies, work alongside the team at Château La Lagune during the harvest and in the cellar, explore the latest concepts in organic and biodynamic farming, and of course, taste some of the finest wines of Bordeaux, focusing on older wines and olfactory development.

Each Scholar will also be paired with additional mentors based on their specific area of interest. Upon the conclusion of Bordeaux Mentor Week, the Scholars will be encouraged to stay in contact with their mentors upon returning home to continue to develop their skills and advance along their chosen career paths.

All accommodations and transport within the region will be covered for attendees. Several travel bursaries were made available for those who are not able to fund travel to the region.

Several generous 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 shortly.

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