Representing the sixth generation of a French wine family, Arthur Mayard has travelled from his home in the prestigious village of Chateauneuf du Pape to Bond University’s Gold Coast campus so he can learn more about … wine!
Having grown up helping in his family’s 43 hectares of vineyards in the Rhone Valley, 20-year-old Arthur is preparing to join the Vignobles Mayard business by studying a management degree at the Catholic University of Lyon.
Now midway through his second year, he has taken time out to fulfil his dream of travelling to Australia by enrolling in a Wine Studies course as part of a Study Abroad semester at Bond.
“It’s really interesting to see how the Australian wine industry works and to learn more about Australian wine tastes,” said Arthur.
“Through courses like this, the next generation of French winemakers have the opportunity to travel and experience wines from different parts of the world, which will ultimately help us improve our own wine industry.”
The Wine Studies course is one of a number of electives offered to Study Abroad students and those undertaking Bond’s International Hotel and Tourism Management degrees. Topics include the history of wine, the art of winemaking and sales strategies, as well as wine etiquette and the art of carefully planned wine-food pairing.
“Bond’s Wine Studies course offers a unique way to discover Australian wines through tastings and discussions of the different wine regions,“ said Arthur.
“One of our assignments focussed on the Barossa Valley so another European student and I decided to travel down there to get the information first-hand.
“Our teacher, Steven Knight, arranged for us to meet a friend of his – Stuart Bourne – who is the head winemaker at Chateau Tanunda, as well as visiting half a dozen other wineries.”
Arthur also plans to visit a number of other wine regions in Australia, with two months of travelling on the itinerary after he finishes his semester at Bond.
“I’m hoping to visit the Hunter Valley and Tasmania, as well as seeing Sydney, Melbourne and more of the Gold Coast,” he said.
In the long-term, Arthur plans further studies in Oenology next year in Burgundy before he joins the family firm but he has already made useful contacts during his studies here for the future importation of Vignobles Mayard wines to Australia and China.