4 March 2002 Lincoln's vine and wine links reaching out globally

It's proving to be a vintage season for the development of relationships in wine science and viticulture between Lincoln University and other tertiary institutions in the same business.

In November at Cloudy Bay Vineyards, Blenheim, the University signed into a relationship with Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology to assist with the teaching of qualifications offered through the Marlborough Wine Centre of Excellence.

In January the University was presented with a medal from the University Catolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy. Pioneering Canterbury wine maker Danny Schuster presented the medal on behalf of Professor Mario Fregoni, Professor of Viticulture at the Italian university who wanted to make a gesture towards future cooperation between the two institutions. As Past President of the Intentional Organisation du Vin, Professor Fregoni visited Lincoln University briefly back in October.

Now in the latest development the University has had a visit by two groups from Geisenheim University, Germany. On 19 February two staff members – Professor Karl Bayer and Mr Andreas Binzel from Geisenheim's Department of Viticulture and Beverage Technology – spent a day at Lincoln University meeting senior staff and hearing about the work of Lincoln's Centre for Viticulture and Oenology from Centre Co-ordinator   Dr Glen Creasy and Wine Science Lecturer Dr Martin Pour Nikfardjam.

And on 25 February, 20 students from Geisenheim and three staff members, including the Dean of Applied Sciences, visited Lincoln University touring the vineyard, the winery, and laboratories. Again Dr Martin Pour Nikfardjam, who is himself from Germany, was closely involved with the visit. Martin studied food chemistry at the University of Frankfurt/Main and has a PhD in nutritional and wine science from the University of Giessen.

Geisenheim is on the Rhine in the Federal State of Hessen about 60 kilometres west of Frankfurt. It is part of the Rheingau wine region and famous for its rieslings.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand