Lincoln University scientist Wendy Parr has been on a mission to help improve the quality of wine in both France and New Zealand.
She recently gave an invited presentation at the University of Burgandy in Dijon, which involved discussing her research on understanding complexity in wine.
Her trip came about after she won a 2019 Sustainable Agriculture Mission to France award from the French Embassy in New Zealand.
“The awards are aimed at strengthening research partnerships between France and New Zealand, with strategic benefits for both countries,” Dr Parr said.
“The overall aim of the programme is to work with acclaimed French researchers to provide sound knowledge that can be used by agriculturists in both France and New Zealand to inform their practices and improve wine quality and sustainability.”
Dr Parr’s visit to the University of Burgandy focused specifically on pinot noir research and included a seminar for students with backgrounds in food science, psychology and neuroscience.
The seminar was followed by a wine and cheese tasting, where Burgundian wines were matched with various local cheeses and judged for their compatibility.
Dr Parr also visited the University Paris VIII, where she is collaborating on a project concerning the perception of natural wines.
She said the programme was an important endeavour that provided opportunities for increasing knowledge sharing, mutual respect and learning between wine producers and scientists in both France and New Zealand.
“This allows us to future-proof already established research collaborations between French scholars and Lincoln University researchers.”