(Davis, California, April, 2002) -- Tamra E. Lotz, a student majoring in Viticulture and Oenology at the University of California at Davis, has been selected as the recipient of a global internship created and funded by the International Wine & Food Society.

The goal of the internship, according to the IW&FS Board of Governors of the Americas, is "to promote the knowledge and enjoyment of wines of the world by providing a talented student the chance to study the practices of grape growing and winemaking with a global perspective." The internship is comprised of two industry working experiences and one “tour” of a winemaking region. The three portions of the internship will occur in three separate international locations, and Lotz will be supplied with a $10,000 grant to cover travel and lodging costs.

Tamra Lotz'  educational adventure commences September  2002, when she travels to Germany to intern at a winery during the harvest season. This portion of the program, says Lotz, was chosen because "I really love German Rieslings! There are so many great German wines, ranging from the crisp and dry to the wonderfully sweet. I also want to visit the country of my heritage, where my grandparents were born, and have an opportunity to practice the language."

In January 2003 Lotz will head for Australia for a month long tour of the country's wine regions. "I selected Australia because some excellent wines are produced there," she explains, "and I especially want to tour Australian vineyards and learn about their viticultural practices - including the advantages and disadvantages of minimal pruning and mechanization, and how they handle their labor issues."

The last leg of the internship will be spent in Chile, where Lotz will again be working in a winery during the harvest, this time speaking Spanish. "I've been told that Chile is a beautiful country, very similar to California," says Lotz, "and their wines are certainly taking hold in the market. I anticipate getting some wonderful winemaking experience, and am also excited to become more familiar with the marketing practices of such an export-driven industry."

Lotz feels that the opportunity to enhance her education by including many different perspectives on winemaking and viticulture "will make me a better winemaker and viticulturist." She looks forward to bringing her experience and new found skills back to California, where she plans to settle after the internship. "I am very grateful to the IW&FS for giving me this incredible opportunity," she says, "I can't wait to go."

“We are grateful to the International Wine and Food Society for their generous support of our program,” says Jim Wolpert, Chair of the Department of Viticulture and Oenology. “Through this internship, we are able to offer to one of our top students a truly unique global wine experience, encompassing both Old World and New World regions. Through this opportunity we can further one of our strategic goals of giving our students the best possible preparation as they enter the California fine wine industry.”

The International Wine and Food Society (IW&FS) is a worldwide organization founded in 1933. One of the primary tenets of the IWFS is “to encourage and assist young men and women in the formal study of wine and the culinary arts.” There are 87 branches of the IW&FS throughout the United States, Canada, the Bahamas, the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Central America and South America with a total membership of nearly 5,000.

Established in 1880, the Department of Viticulture and Oenology is an academic department within the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at the University of California, Davis. The Department was created in response to a California State Legislature mandate that called for research, teaching, and public outreach in the areas of grape-growing and winemaking.