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8 Apr 2011 by Laura Conway

In my opinion, one of the challenges of the MBA is in doing group work for both classroom presentations and in preparing more formal reports. Despite the benefits of diversity, when it comes to working as a group there are occasionally conflicts because of differing personalities, work habits, or personal priorities. As we all have come to know each others’ strengths and weaknesses, we tend to know with whom we work well and with whom we will have more difficulty. It has been useful to take advantage of each other’s strengths such as ease in public speaking, ability to create a PowerPoint presentation, quantitative skill, attention to detail, or ability to see the big picture. However, I have found it equally important to be able to mediate our negative behaviours such as lack of attention, interest and organisation.

It has been frustrating at times to have a group representative who has been particularly long-winded or irrelevant while giving a presentation. I have learned that we need to make strategic choices in how we work together and that it is to our advantage to challenge one another to improve our skills. For example, sometimes the less comfortable speakers (such as my Russian classmate, who has apparently improved both her English and her confidence) will surprise us in how well they make a presentation. And sometimes the people who seem most distracted will provide perspective and unforeseen creativity. One recent challenge was in completing our paper on wine markets. My group needed to negotiate varying expectations for our schedule, level of participation, writing style, and even grammar. We also struggled in communicating with one group member who ultimately did not contribute her section of the report, making planning all the more difficult. However, we were  able to reorganise in order to complete the assignment on time. I definitely think that learning to collaborate, negotiate and make compromises with other people helps prepare us for business situations in the real world where conflict frequently arises from differing personalities or matters of opinion.

For our fifth class session, the Wine MBA group spent two weeks in January at the University of California, Davis, in northern California. Since I live in nearby San Francisco, this session conveniently allowed me to arrive by car instead of flying across oceans, as had been the norm. Although until this visit the school had primarily served as a checkpoint along the route to Lake Tahoe, I was really looking forward to familiarising myself with UC Davis as I knew it to be a well-regarded school for viticulture and oenology as well as the home of the impressive-looking Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

My classmates had probably anticipated sunny and warm Californian weather, but many of the days were foggy and drizzly and you can see from my picture here of visiting Benziger’s vineyards that we had to wrap up warm. Being American I arrived at the campus expecting to have an easier transition into this academic experience than I had experienced in Bordeaux, for example, as I was already familiar with the cultural norms. True to form, I found the atmosphere at Davis professional but ‘California casual’ (we often addressed administrators and lecturers by their first names). I very much appreciated the fact that the program was well organised and the facilities modern. The various logistics of meals, transportation, and IT support were excellent. Part of me missed learning foreign expressions and discovering unfamiliar culinary trends, but I was pleased that I had the chance to share California’s wine country and business practices with my classmates.

We began our session meeting Robert Smiley, our program host and Director of Wine Studies as well as Dean and Professor of Management Emeritus. He gave us an economic overview of the wine industry, noting facts about the worldwide industry and highlighting California’s role in the marketplace. He then shared the results of a survey he had conducted with winery CEOs on their thoughts about strategy, sales growth, and key issues impacting their business. The general consensus was that the recovery from the financial recession will be gradual but that they are already seeing improvements; social media will play a growing role in their business strategy; the US distribution system will continue to be a challenge; and that environmental issues such as having access to water and reducing wine’s carbon footprint will remain important. We then reviewed the industry once again using Porter Five Forces that shape strategy, taking the perspective of the various players such as wine producers, distributors, retailers and consumers.

Over the two weeks we covered a variety of business topics and their relevance in the wine industry, including entrepreneurship; the legal aspects of the wine industry (particularly in the US); an in-depth look at the US wine market; inventory management; and strategic management. We also endured a lengthy marketing exam case study and returned to finance, including such aspects as financial planning, cost analysis, cost accounting, and valuation. One of my favourite class topics was entrepreneurship because I enjoyed seeing the creativity behind new products or services backed by business planning that made those ideas a success. It was fun to watch entrepreneur James Nash get grilled on the British TV show Dragons’ Den on the details his ‘cup-of-wine’ invention (French wine packaged in an individually sized sealed plastic cup), which later became a huge success through retailer Marks & Spencer. I also appreciated learning about the legal aspects of the wine industry and financial accounting because they were taught in such a clear manner that the information was easy to understand and retain. During the inventory management lecture, Professor Woodruff recounted his shopping experience when a local store teller insisted on keeping separate lines despite his explanation that it was indeed more efficient to have a combined line that fed multiple tellers.

Finally, another great feature of our session at Davis was the interaction with a wide variety of local wine industry business professionals. In addition to visiting numerous wineries in Napa and Sonoma, we listened to several guest speakers in the classroom such as David Simpson, vice president of national sales for the Mendocino Wine Co, and Michael Jellison, CEO at Vinfolio in San Francisco. From discussing environmental issues with Mike Benziger, to learning about Vinfolio’s e-commerce sales strategy, we explored a wide range of business topics that influence today’s executives in the California wine industry. In my opinion, our session at Davis provided an excellent balance between academic theory and real-life professional experiences.

Our three days of winery visits took us to Sonoma, where we toured Benziger Family Winery, discussing environmental policies and biodynamics, followed by a visit to Gallo of Sonoma, where we focused on their international marketing strategy. Founded in 1933, Gallo wines have been sold in 90 countries for over 30 years, the UK being their largest export market. In addition to explaining that quantity does not mean low quality, Phil Klein, Regional VP Americas, noted that the key to growth in international markets is having a good partner. Currently their drive markets are China and Canada and emerging markets Russia and Brazil. Gallo wines are organised into three tiers: value, popular, and fine wine. Phil outlined the 50:50 strategy of social responsibility developed by the late Julio Gallo. For example, for every acre of land they plant with vineyards, they apparently set aside an acre for conservation. Also, in terms of packaging, Gallo has been a ‘fast follower’ in adopting lightweight glass as a way to reduce their wine’s carbon footprint.

Our second day took us to Napa and that region’s first winery, Charles Krug, where we discussed supply-chain management, tasting-room design and wine clubs (an important sales phenomenon for California wineries). Later at Opus One we delved into their history of sales management and compared their 1997 and 2007 vintages. Our third day of excursions took us back to Napa, where we met withDuckhorn‘s president Alex Ryan, who told us about their company culture and the factors of success in their business. Beginning in 1978, they focused on a niche market of high-end Merlot which was very successful in the 1980s. Despite their ensuing growth, they run a family-like operation that values relationships and is able to retain employees through difficult times. He emphasised Duckhorn’s belief in practising social philanthropy in counties that support their wine, and finally explained that one of their key factors for success over the last 30 years was in diversifying their risk by developing several brands (such as Paraduxx, Goldeneye, Decoy and Migration).

Some extra time in our schedule took us down the Silverado Trail to Mumm Napa, where classmate Kate Verstuyft had worked in finance for several years. After a tour and relaxing tasting on the patio we continued to Groth Winery (whose founder was one of the key architects that built Atari), where we tackled financial planning. Finally, we had one extra winery visit on UC Davis’ campus itself – the Robert Mondavi Institute Teaching and Research Winery along with the Anheuser-Busch Brewing and Food Science Laboratory. There are 12 acres of vineyards on campus in addition to an impressive array of new winemaking equipment for students to practise crafting their own blends.

Since January I have been preparing for our final class session in Bordeaux this spring. We will have exams in strategy and finance as well as give presentations of our international business plans (for my group, a high-end wine school in Montreal that also offers market research) and an update on our professional project (personal career trajectory). In the meantime we are also pursuing our dissertation projects. Many of us are developing surveys to gather data to analyse in the coming months.

For each of us, the dissertation projects have been an ongoing project since the beginning of the MBA. We are supposed to pursue a topic that is tied to our career goals. I think it is fascinating how our topics are so varied, reflecting that the wine industry involves much more than simply producing and selling wine. Richard, who is intricately involved with wine education and service, is focused on discovering how people best learn about wine and their motivations for involvement. Mona, however, is looking at neophyte consumers’ self-confidence as they select and purchase wine in supermarkets around Paris. Danny, who had previously worked at Benziger, is researching biodynamic winemaking practices across the globe. Some aspects of our research topics are very obviously allied to our career paths or personality, while the significance of other, less direct, aspects is revealed over time.

For my dissertation I am researching the impact of social media on wine consumers’ behaviour. This research topic relates to my personal interests because I want to specialise in communication and relationship-building as well as to have a solid understanding of emerging technologies. My research also focuses on branding and the influence of word of mouth via social influencers and opinion leaders. Some of the challenges of my topic are that it can be difficult to measure certain consumer behaviours or to strictly quantify the ROI for using social media. There are many intangible values that need to be observed in their long-term potential such as in building brands and developing goodwill. I have really appreciated gaining experience in research techniques as well being able to look at the subject from both an academic and a professional perspective.

The program has kept me busy, but that is what I expected. Now we’re off to France once again and in the home stretch… Wish us luck!

–
Laura B. Conway
Wine MBA & WSET diploma

28 Jan 2011 by Laura Conway

In mid October the Wine MBA class collected in London at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (pictured) for its fourth session. At this point the programme is half-way complete as there remain just two additional class sessions, at UC Davis and Bordeaux, as well as the completion of our dissertation projects before graduation in the fall of 2011. Despite my giddiness at making progress, I expect the coming months to be the most demanding as we complete our long-term assignments and prepare for exams. I like to think of the time as ‘measured’ fun.

While in London one of our primary tasks was to consider the wine business from the UK’s perspective, taking note of the particular needs of this important market. Despite their both being English speaking countries, it was readily apparent to me that the wine culture in the UK is very different from that in the United States. Over those few weeks it was fascinating to explore those differences in attitude, and practices, in the on- and off-trade.

For example, the UK does not have America’s three-tier system of alcohol distribution, nor such varying state laws on sales and taxation, and the legal drinking age is 18 instead of 21. Furthermore, there is Britain’s history of port consumption, her ties with Bordeaux and the long-established tradition of building private wine cellars.

Another difference in the UK that was particularly obvious to this San Francisco resident is the lack of regional wines from California such as those from Napa and Sonoma, although I discovered Diageo’s popular brand Blossom Hill. [Lucky you - JR].

During our stay, guest instructors from the research firm Wine Intelligence tasked us with conducting market research to seek out wine lists in restaurants and pubs, as well as to observe the consumer experience at wine retailers. As I had expected, I found that overall the wine culture is more established in the UK than in the States. It is more established as a part of the lifestyle. (Personally I was pleased to see a larger Champagne selection available, even in small corner stores.).

However, our research concluded that much work could be done to improve wine presentation at grocers and on most on-premise wine lists. To my surprise, wine lists were typically listed by price instead of being categorised by style as in much of the US. I found this emphasis on price a lost opportunity to educate consumers on varietal and style alternatives (not to mention provide an easy reading experience). I thought that as a business exercise, the research was good practice in gathering market data, conducting analyses and finally presenting our findings with suggested recommendations.

In addition to spending time understanding the UK wine market, we studied many other topics in London including finance, international marketing, information systems, wine markets and research methods. Some of the additional wine markets we examined included Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Wines of Chile’s UK director Michael Cox gave us an in-depth look at Chile’s wine market and illustrated typical wine styles with regional examples. Likewise, we also had a French guest lecture on rosé wine and Provence’s economy.

In addition to enjoying the variety of topics discussed, I appreciated having a diverse set of instructors that included university professors, business professionals and researchers. We also had a Wine MBA graduate lecturing on international marketing using his work as a case study (selling Brise de France wines to the Dutch market). I thought one of the most valuable exercises we did was the ‘French Paradox’ game that forced us to employ both financial and marketing strategy as competing wine companies.

Another session was spent considering the adoption of e-commerce in the wine industry and learning about Bordeaux professor Gregory Bressolles’ ‘E-performance Barometer’ for evaluating websites in terms of loyalty, satisfaction, and CRM [customer relationship management] variables. After a lecture and McKinsey case study on knowledge management we had an exam evaluating our grasp of the topic. Finally, I thought it was very helpful to have a discussion on quantitative research including how to build a robust sample. I will leverage this information as I prepare my survey on social media for my personal dissertation project.

For me, one of the highlights of the London session was an industry visit to Constellation Europe in Guildford. Through interactive activities, I learned about Category Management, which I discovered was essentially R&D for wine brands including research on consumer segments and innovative packaging possibilities. In retrospect, I would have liked more time with these managers for discussion and questions as I found this real-life business connection extremely interesting and eye-opening. I hope we will have more opportunities like this in the future.

While in town I had various wine experiences through our ‘on-/off-premise research’. One of my favourite discoveries was Cave London (www.cavelondon.com/), a small boutique on Bermondsey Street that sells flowers, wine and chocolate. I found their Ch Moulin de Curat 2005 Puisseguin St-Emilion to be a delicious Bordeaux when given a moment to breathe. My favourite wine experience was at the fabulously geeky wine bar Terroirs (www.terroirswinebar.com/), where I paired an Italian Primitivo with charcuterie, bavette and bitter chocolate. This wine bar has a really exciting list including a large selection of organic and biodynamic wines. I needed more time to really appreciate all the options.

As I reflect on what I enjoy most about these vinous class sessions, I realise it is learning about the wine business from so many cultural perspectives. Yet again I am pleased to absorb the nuggets of life experience from my diverse set of classmates, knowledge from academic and industry professionals, and the reality of my surroundings. Up next is UC Davis in January, my turn to share the California lifestyle.

After classes ended my husband and I took a short vacation to Piemonte, where I visited several wineries (Malvirà, La Spinetta, and Rocche dei Manzone) and luxuriated in seasonal white truffles. The Ligurian coast was equally charming with its delicious focaccia bread, pesto-flavoured trofie pasta, and floral iacchetra Rosso dessert wine. A real epicurean treat! The picture shows us in Cinqueterre.

Air France is partnering with BEM Wine & Spirits MBA to offer you the best price with your air ticket.

Event ID code for booking : 11595AF

To confirm your participation, please fill the form below :

The celebration of the Wine MBA 10^th anniversary will take place at :

• Château de Rochemorin : one full day of conferences with prestigious guest speakers from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm

• Château La Louvière : a private dinner for the Wine MBA Alumni and spouses, and Wine MBA Mentors, starting at 7.30 pm

15 Oct 2010 by Laura Conway

The third session of the Wine MBA took place this summer in Bordeaux, where we enjoyed, and sometimes suffered from, warm temperatures. (For accounts of the previous sessions, see part 1 and part 2.) Amid those sunny days we spent much time in the classroom but also had the opportunity to visit several châteaux, attend the quayside wine tastings, and make personal excursions t the seaside town of Arcachon or other nearby destinations. My favourite moment occurred while standing on a hillside in Sauternes at sunset feeling the breeze blow through the vineyards. The beauty of the moment incorporated the tranquility of the landscape as well as the sense of history that permeated the vineyards. Despite the various epiphanies I had in the classroom and the fun shared with friends, it is this moment of timeless harmony which now speaks to me most.

Academic topics

The key topics we covered in the classroom during this session included Finance, Organisational Behaviour, Career Development, Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods and Supply Chain Management. We dug deep into financial topics which for many of us proved challenging. We studied how to read financial statements, manage currency risk, understand derivatives, value companies and analyse profitability. We discussed how inventory (wine, barrels, equipment, etc.) and the harvest calendar affectthe balance sheet using case studies to illustrate real-life analysis and decision-making processes. After finance, organisational behaviour took up much of our time as we considered how ‘leadership, change, teams, diversity, culture and structures’ influence management structure. To practise our observational skills and qualitative research methods we watched a Mondovino clip, which we interpreted as representing a conflict between tradition and change. Afterwards we applied our methodologies and critical thinking to a live case study in which we visited Ch Bastor-Lamontagne in Sauternes. Working in groups, we gathered information through observation and staff interviews in order to identify the winery’s current organisational behavior and management structure. In retrospect I think we all learned a lot about objectivity, cultural values, and critical thinking which we can incorporate into our ongoing dissertation research as well as into our careers.

Also useful for our dissertation was the time spent on quantitative research methods in which we studied how to use statistics and analyse data using tools such as SPSS. For me, some of the most constructive time was spent thinking about my ‘professional project’. I believe the MBA is a great opportunity for building skills and confidence, but even more, I value it as tool for identifying my ideal career path. During our career coaching we discussed the importance of networking, being creative with our skill set and envisioning ‘boundary-less’ careers.

The final two days of class were spent on supply chains and logistics. We saw how to analyse a process and learned about the concept of a ‘lean supply chain’, originally introduced by Toyota. I particularly enjoyed playing the game in which as competing teams we produced origami stars. The exercise helped illustrate the ‘drum-buffer-rope’ theory of constraints as our rate of production was dependent on a bottleneck in our production line. I also appreciated the research untaken by the professor on bottle temperature fluctuation and transportation logistics.

Networking and château visits

Outside the classroom we had the chance to network with many people in the industry, including fellow university students enrolled in BEM’s masters in Wine & Spirits Management (MVS) programme. We also were invited to attend a forum discussion between the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), the local Sud Ouest newspaper, and a large Bordeaux négociant which discussed such issues as the en primeur system, Bordeaux’s economic and marketing challenges in selling its lower priced wines, and climatic trends currently affecting wine production worldwide. Furthermore, we had the chance to meet several artists from the Aquitaine region and the general managers of five prestigious Bordeaux châteaux through an initiative called Un château pour un artiste. In the effort to synergistically promote wine tourism and enhance the visibility of local artists, this initiative teamed up five artists and châteaux to
display both the estate wines and artwork which included paintings, sculpture, and photography. We met the participants at an initial ‘cocktail’ reception and later at each of the châteaux’s vernissage (private views). The participating estates included Chx Beychevelle, Larrivet-Haut-Brion, Clos Haut-Peyraguey, Bastor-Lamontagne and Sigalas Rabaud. (We spent quite a bit of time in Sauternes; the picture above is of me with Laure de Lambert des Granges on the left at Ch Sigalas Rabaud.)

Food and wine

I would definitely be remiss if I did not mention the delicious food we experienced in Bordeaux. Several of us sought out local oysters and feasted on main plates featuring duck, beef and lamb. I enjoyed two delicious dinners at the Bistro du Sommelier, where, while drinking a 1994 Vieux Château Certan with a girlfriend from Italy, I cemented my love of Pomerol. I relished the wine’s earthy/truffle nose, voluptuous rich dark fruit, iron minerality and structure. At Les Noailles along the Allée de Tourny in the centre of the city, my friend and I also shared a 1999 Ch Pavie Macquin whose cherry red fruit notes paired splendidly with my duck platter. For wine tasting I returned to the Max Bordeaux Wine Gallery, but also greatly enjoyed my last evening in town at the Bar à Vin, where I savoured various small plates alongside samples of Lisennes NV Crémant de Bordeaux, Ch Pichon Bellevue 2009 Graves de Vayres, and Ch Vieux Maillet 2006 Pomerol.

Up next: London

Back in our home towns we have various assignments and preparation to do during our inter-session. Current projects include the research design for our dissertation (including a substantial literature review), an economics essay (my topic is on the impact of wine critics on the market), and an individual organisational behaviour case study on a wine company of our choosing. This month we convene at the WSET and Wine Intelligence facility in London to focus on information systems, marketing and branding strategies and international markets, with particular emphasis on the UK. As always, the schedule looks daunting but, true to form, my sense of excitement is growing as I look forward to seeing my friends and experience the Wine MBA from its next location.

8 Jun 2010 by Laura Conway – Source : Jancis Robinson’s website.

Laura Conway of San Francisco presents her second account of experiences of Bordeaux’s Wine MBA programme, in Australia this time. Is the Australian spirit alive and well? You can read her initial account on the Jancis Robinson’s website.

In April our team descended on Adelaide, Australia, for the second class session of the Wine MBA programme. Classmate Danny Fay had already spent considerable time ‘down under’ as he arrived earlier to work the harvest at Seppelt, where he was in charge of red-wine fermentation. From his emails we got a flavour for the vernacular and were warned of the warmer climate.

On the first day of classes we arrived amidst heavy rain at the University South Australia (UniSA), where we planned to immerse ourselves in wine marketing. Professor Larry Lockshin (pictured) would lead us through our curriculum at the well-known Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science. Upon our arrival and throughout our stay, Lockshin graciously received us and made us feel at home in our new surroundings. After receiving an overview of our schedule and of general marketing concepts, we eagerly anticipated our diagnostic exam in which we would apply basic marketing principles to situations in the wine industry. Over the next few weeks we would delve deeper into market strategy, international branding and brand development, consumer behaviour, pricing and distribution, as well as take in-depth looks at the Australian and Asian markets.

Academics
It was the now-retired Associate Professor Tony Spawton who originally attracted Lockshin to come to UniSA from the United States. Spawton, a recognised authority on wine marketing and branding, returned to the classroom to share his knowledge of the field. We discussed the importance of brand salience, the idea of wine as heuristic or experience-based, and that beverages such as bottled water are enjoying high profits and assuming a growing portion of ‘share of throat’.

Spawton explained how brand proposition comes from positioning and personality and illustrated his talk with examples from his past such as the bag-in-the-box concept. As a former economics and marketing expert for the OIV in France, he told me about some of the challenges in his work such as his advocacy of appellations to market themselvesas brands. Tony champions the creation of a brand definition that would encapsulate the Appellation Contrôlée/DOC as a marketing system and enshrine it in marketing law. While this approach was not adopted by the OIV, which does not have a marketing mandate, it was adopted by the EU and incorporated in their recent changes of AOC/DOC into AOP/DOP.

In addition to Spawton, the class also enjoyed the ever-comedic John Hendrickson, who advised us on market strategy. He emphasised the importance of analysing both internal and external conditions, as well as markets and customers, in order to determine segmentation and the objectives to achieve long-term goals. While with ‘Hendo’, we considered jazz as a model of the intrinsic qualities needed in market planning, such as flexibility, innovation and, most importantly, improvisation. As a musician I really liked the analogy and especially enjoyed his pebble-counting game which illustrated game theory.

Spawton and Hendrickson taught us important fundamentals, but also were coaches for a real-world consulting project in which we would advise a local winery on brand development and marketing strategy. We soon learned of our challenge when we visited McLaren Vale [see today's wine of the week], where we became familiar with Chalk Hill Wines (not the same as the California winery of the same name discussed in All change at Chalk Hill) and the region’s personality. Over a delicious lunch at the The Salopian Inn we listened to Chalk Hill’s affable Sales & Marketing Manager, Tom Harvey, who presented the company, its challenges and goals, and gave us a tasting of their various Shiraz and Cabernets. In an effort to grow Chalk Hill’s visibility and sales, we were tasked with preparing a marketing strategy on how to establish a ‘cellar door’ [Oz for direct sales outlet - JR] and to develop a luxury brand for the international market. I was assigned to the latter group, which would critique the proposed high-end brand and offer advice on which market to target. After lunch we visited the Chalk Hill property and had the chance to ask Tom a range of probing questions to prepare for our work.

Back on campus, when not studying topics such as consumer behaviour and price cannibalisation [a timely topic down under - JR], we had dedicated time to use UniSA’s library to research our dissertation topics. Our wine-related topics cover a wide range of subjects including education, biodynamic winemaking, social media, importing and TV. Early on we met Klaus Kilov, the dedicated librarian and wine marketing researcher who would aid us in our work. After an introduction in the library, we learned that we would have access to an extraordinary set of research databases and online journals, including the unparalleled International Wine Marketing Database(www.winesea.unisa.edu.au). Using this industry-specific database, many of us were able to find numerous useful references for our research topics. Klaus was also extremely adept at locating hard-to-find articles and turning over unexpected gems. It was satisfying to work with such an amicable researcher who was both helpful and passionate about his work.

A notable continuity found across the many professors and lecturers in Adelaide was their use of science in their wine research. The department is aptly named an Institute for Marketing Science as we saw the results of many surveys, polls, and market research as the data related to taste preferences, pricing and buying habits. The classroom also benefited from presentations from local industry professionals such as Patrick Iland, who presented Australian wine and grape styles, Peter Fuller, who discussed communication and PR, and Ali Hogarth from the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation, who explained Australia’s plan for developing markets. I was particularly fascinated by the AWBC’s Landmark Australia Tutorial (www.landmark-wineaustralia.com) that promotes Australian wines by hosting an annual tasting for a select group of international gatekeepers/journalists [see Julia's many accounts of her stint on the first Landmark Australia - JR].

We also jumped into the hot topic of the growing Asian wine market with presentations from wine writer Denis Gastin and Fuming Jiang, Associate Professor and Director of the Centre for Asian Business, who explained Asian cultural traditions and its influences from Confucius. The general consensus is that there is a massive opportunity for growth in wine sales in Asia, but that businesses need to be wary of cultural and political factors, differing taste preferences, and the proliferation of wine counterfeiting [seeChinese fakery - JR].

Visiting McLaren Vale and Barossa
In our schedule we had two days dedicated to visiting nearby wine regions McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley. Our first trip was to McLaren Vale [see today's wine of the week - JR], where we began the day at Chapel Hill to get a framework for our assignment with Chalk Hill. Chapel Hill CEO Marc Allgrove presented McLaren Vale as a region that is working to establish itself as a tourist destination and grow its reputation for high-end wines. Some of the region’s defining points are its affinity with the arts and for being a prime destination for food and wine. In particular, McLaren Vale is angling regionality and history of family. Allgrove explained how the colours red, blue and green represented McLaren Vale’s identity and values. The region is known for red wine, is located close to the sea, and believes in sustainability (especially in sourcing water and vineyard practices).

At Chapel Hill Winery we tasted four wines from 2008 of which I appreciated the Verdelho for being light, clean, and with good acidity,and the Bush Vine Grenache for its savoury characteristics and subtlety. After our introduction at Chapel Hill, we spent the afternoon with Tom Harvey focusing on Chalk Hill’s particular challenges in preparation for our group projects. Finally, at the end of the day we visited the beach where we enjoyed the geology of nearby cliffs and relaxed with a ‘slab’ [tray - JR] of Coopers  beer. A few adventuresome folk even took a swim, while others gazed at the sunset and reflected on the day’s highlights.

The following week we took our second excursion to the Barossa Valley, where we compared wine styles and marketing strategies at the very large and corporate Jacob’s Creek, and later at the smaller, family-style wineries, Grant Burge and Murray Street Vineyards. We saw common challenges in determining brand identity but also several trends in marketing strategy as all these wineries viewed women as an important, growing market segment. They were keen to present their products as part of a lifestyle and one which represented the spirit of Australia.

Food and wine
I had a variety of food and wine experiences while in Australia that represented a range of cultural and local traditions. Besides the traditional ‘barbie’, such as the one we enjoyed at Professor Lockshin’s home, I found that the Aussies take their coffee and beer seriously and can make a mean pot-pie. In addition to appreciating the local food market, I became a great fan of the local olive oils such as the Lucilla Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Fleurieu Peninsula), which I brought home as a treat for my husband. Furthermore, as a chocolate lover I satisfied my cravings at Haigh’s, Australia’s oldest chocolate manufacturer (est 1915), which offered a tasty selection of truffles, milk and dark chocolate.

Some of my favourite wines on the trip included the Rieslings from Clare Valley and the Cabernets from Coonawarra and Margaret River. The results of an informal blind tasting among friends found the Taylors Riesling 2008 ousting three other local examples. At one dinner on nearby Gouger Street, my roommate Mona and I paired theBowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 Coonawarra with noodles at a Chinese restaurant. Full-bodied, it had smooth tannins with lush, ripe fruit. Dark purple in colour, it had a rich and intense nose with blueberry, spice, and dark chocolate. I had one other inspiring Cabernet experience at my hotel, where I tried the local kangaroo steak with aLangmeil, Blacksmith Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Barossa Valley. Happy in my choice, I agreed with the menu’s notes that said ‘earthy, soft, berries’.

As a real fan of Pinot Noir, I sought out local examples and particularly ones from New Zealand such as the Mount Maude Pinot Noir 2008 Central Otago, which was characterised by rich fruit and aromas of violet and wild thyme. Finally, towards the end of our stay, many of us attended a tasting at Edinburgh Cellars to sample benchmark Australian wines representing key varieties and GIs [Geographical Indications, ie appellations - JR]. My two favourites from the 10 selections were the sparkling Radenti Chardonnay/Pinot Noir 2000 Tasmania with its round flavour, focused bubble, balance and relative creaminess and the Hardys, Eileen Hardy 2000 McLaren Vale/Padthaway, which had truffle and mushroom on the nose, graphite, cherry and cassis on the palate, well-integrated tannins and a long finish.

Conclusions and going forward
My Brazilian classmate Carlos Marques summed it up. The most remarkable thing about our experience in Adelaide was ‘the pragmatic Australian approach towards wine, tied with a very friendly environment… They really knew how to make us feel comfortable’. Furthermore, we never ceased to be amused by the Australian tendency to abbreviation such as ‘preso’ (presentation), ‘avro’ (afternoon), or expressions like ‘flat out like a lizard drinking’ (really busy). In Adelaide the Wine MBA was characterised by the local egalitarian philosophy, while humour and sunshine permeated our daily life. Most importantly, in presenting to Tom Harvey of Chalk Hill, we learned important business lessons on how to analyse problems, when to use academic theory, and the value of presenting researched, strategic marketing advice.

At the end of April we returned home to our various countries after seeing kangaroos, visiting Aussie wine country, and learning wine marketing tricks from the experts. After class, a few students travelled round the Pacific, but ultimately we would all need to hit the books before meeting again. At the end of June we convene in Bordeaux for the summer session, which will focus on finance and organizational behavior. It will be a return to the croissant and Gallic traditions, but also to warm weather and locally held events such as the Bordeaux Wine Festival (www.bordeaux-fete-le-vin.com) and the Institute of Masters of Wine International Symposium. The city will be a true crossroads of information-sharing between cultures and generations. I can’t wait! [See you there - JR]

Congratulations to Gérard Basset, Best Sommelier 2010 !

Gérard Basset, Wine MBA Graduate (2006/7 class) is the only Wine MBA / Best Sommelier / MW in the world.

Our most sincere congratulations to Gérard !