Scholarships and academic awards have been a formative part of my career. The opportunity to learn from others, getting a leg into different professional worlds, and receive an enormous motivational boost. My first scholarships came in my teens, and I am proud to say I have received scholarships and academic awards right through to my late 30s — enabling me to complete the Master of Wine program. I am a huge advocate for the importance and profound impact these opportunities can have on advancing one’s career and inspiring future paths.
VIK Wine Lab might sound like a wild experiment, but it is fundamentally a scholarship program with an academic award as the incentive. It starts with 36 winemaking students from different universities in Chile being given an incredible opportunity to access the state-of-the-art facilities at VIK’s winery. Here, they make their own wine barrel in the cooperage and create their own wine blend.
VIK is the only winery in South America with an in-house cooperage, and the winery itself is an absolute work of art. This opportunity alone is quite unparalleled.
After several of months ageing in barrel, the wines are bottled, and then the challenge and award process begins… The 36 wines are evaluated by an expert panel to select three winners. This year, I was lucky enough to be part of that panel — and I am proud to say I was its first Lady President!
We were a group of professional tasters from Chile, Argentina, the UK, the USA, Brazil, and Portugal. Together, we evaluated the wines, gradually narrowing down the top selections from each flight, until we reached a consensus on the top three. The wines that excelled showed balance, elegance, and poise. The standard was impressively high across the board, and the three winners produced wines I would definitely love to drink over and over again.
Later that afternoon, VIK hosted a fabulous awards ceremony — a truly special event — for all the students and their teachers. The winners were announced, and the prizes were rather remarkable.
Not only did each winner get fabulous gifts from sponsors, but VIK also supports them with an all-expenses-paid trip to a wine region to learn about production from some of the world’s leading wineries and winemakers. The destinations include Italy, France, and Portugal — incredible opportunities for university students to open their minds to the global world of wine and expand their horizons and dreams. The top winner also receives a scholarship at VIK, working with winemaker Cristian Vallejo and his team. Additionally, they get to bottle and market their wine — a proud moment for any new winemaker.
It was incredibly touching to witness the excitement, pride, and joy of these young winemakers. Motivated and inspired by the program, they were also celebrated by their peers during the awards ceremony. These are the kinds of moments and opportunities that drive students to strive for more.
I left the experience deeply impressed by VIK’s generosity in creating this program. They also run a similar initiative for young chefs, VIK Food Lab, which sounds equally inspiring.
As challenging as this year has been for Chile’s wine industry — with 2024 seeing significant, though not yet fully quantified, uprooting of vineyards and the closure of several businesses — it is hard not to feel disheartened. However, learning about this program and seeing its impact offered a much-needed ray of hope. While some doors in the industry are closing, it was an absolute joy to see this big door open for 36 students. It’s a door that grants access to the exciting world of wine, and a gateway to promising opportunities, and potentially bright futures for many.
The Winners of VIK WINE LAB 2024
First Place: María Francisca Galdames from Universidad de Chile
Prizes include a trip to France and Italy, as well as having her wine blend bottled and an internship at VIK.
Second Place: Laura Valdebenito from Universidad de Chile
Prizes include a trip to Portugal and Italy, as well as an internship at VIK.
Third Place: Mauricio Rojas from Universidad de Talca
Prizes include a trip to France and Italy, as well as an internship at VIK.
The Panel of VIK Wine Lab 2024
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The VIK Wine Lab winning wine bottled Cristian Vallejo, Head Winemaker of Viña VIK
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Henrique Ribeiro, General Manager R-CORK
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Amanda Barnes, Wine Writer, author of The South America Wine Guide and critic for Decanter and Jancis Robinson
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Alejandro Iglesias, wine communicator and sommelier
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Marcel Miwa, Editor of Gula de Brasil and Guia dos Vinhos in Brazil
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Vivien Morvan, Winemaker and Area Manager for South America for Gilbert & Gaillard
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John Jackson, communicator and critic @attorneysomm
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Andrea García, Marketing Director of VIK
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Priscila Fernández, Winemaker of VIK
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Mauricio Garrido, Operations Manager of VIK
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Marcela Chandia, Winemaker at Chile DVino
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Eduardo Moraga, journalist and wine critic for El Mercurio
Discover more about VIK winery and their beautiful hotel in our winery guide!
