Taradale's Bragato Exchange Scholarship 2015 – Jascha Oldham-Selak
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Kevyn Moore introduced Jascha as hailing from an established heritage of wine makers from West Auckland.Jascha thanked Kevyn and Taradale Rotary for the opportunity to participate in this scholarship and went on to talk about his experience and the people, wine,
food, host families and the Italian culture. Italy has 20 wine regions producing roughly 50/50 red & white wine. Its wine harvest is 13 times larger than NZ and the Italians consume 20 times more wine. Sangiovese and Trebliano are two of the most popular varieties.
Jascha visited the Conegliano region in Tuscany, famous for its Prosecco sparkling wine made from the Glera grape variety. Vineyards are steep with little opportunity for mechanisation, family run and managed still using very traditional methods such as tying up the vines with wooden vine material.
Vine disease is also an increasing issue to deal with.
Many vines have granite-like stone material spread under them to moderate the temperature fluctuations during ripening. Jascha paid a visit to the Ferrari Vineyard, no expense spared, and also to a large Cooperage, making oak barrels and storage tanks up to 30,000liters.
He also spent a great deal of time with previous exchange students at their vineyards and wineries experiencing the full range of wines and hospitality. The food was outstanding, the sparkling wines and big reds very enjoyable and the people enormously generous and embracing. Corks are still used exclusively, very reluctant to use screw caps.
Jascha took from the exchange the networking opportunities, the knowledge gained, the friendships made and the personal development opportunities.