Douglas Wisor Memorial Scholarship

The Scholarship, administered by the American Australian Association, supports a young American winemaker to travel to New Zealand to intern at Craggy Range Winery for a vintage.

The Douglas Wisor Memorial Scholarship will again be offered in 2008, its fourth year. Doug Wisor was a brilliant young American born winemaker at Craggy Range who passed away in New Zealand following a tragic kite surfing accident. During his time with Craggy Range, Doug made some of the finest wines New Zealand has seen.

The Scholarship, administered by the American Australian Association, supports a young American winemaker to travel to New Zealand to intern at Craggy Range Winery for a vintage. The Doug Wisor Memorial Fund will provide return airfares from the US, whilst Craggy Range will provide accommodation and a modest salary for the duration of the vintage, which runs from approximately March until May 2009. The recipient will also be given the opportunity to tour New Zealand's diverse wine regions at the completion of their internship.

Kirsty Harmon, 2007 scholarship recipient, has shared her experiences of working a vintage at Craggy Range Winery:

"I was able to take part in almost every aspect of vintage winemaking from grape harvesting and sorting to fermentation monitoring and juice and wine analysis. I experienced unbelievable amounts of generosity and kindness from the many winemakers and grape growers I was lucky enough to meet. I now know first-hand why New Zealand is clearly at the forefront of winemaking in the New World.

"It was the two-week tour of the South Island at the end of my trip that transformed this opportunity from outstanding to once in a lifetime. I spent two full weeks driving myself around from one amazing wine region to the next, completely in awe of scenes that I am convinced are the most beautiful on earth. There are not many places on earth where I could have seen such awesome and varied geography; I spent one morning walking around on a glacier and that evening watched the sun set on the beach.

"What remained consistent from one winery to the next regardless of size, location or operating budget was the passion and interest in crafting quality wines truly representative of place. I could not have asked for a more complete portrait of New Zealand's wine world."

Selection Criteria:
· Applicant should demonstrate intellect, vision, innovation and practical experience in winemaking.
· Demonstrate why an overseas internship would be important in career development.
· Explanation of mutual benefits likely to both the applicant and vineyard.
· Applications must be clear, concise and easily understandable.
· Please include contact details for at least one recent wine industry referee.

Application Process:
A detailed resume together with an essay outlining the reasons why the applicant wants to work a vintage in New Zealand should be submitted by October 24th, 2008.