IN her first year in the “driver’s seat” at Penley Estate, winemaker Lauren Hansen has taken every opportunity to further her career in the industry.
Ms Hansen is broadening her horizons and will take part in the Great Wine Capitals Exchange Bursary in September and October.
She will travel to St Emilion in Bordeaux, France to visit and work with winemakers specialising in the vinification of Cabernet Franc.
The Primary Industries and Regions South Australia-hosted program will send six South Australian wine industry participants to other great wine capitals to learn directly from international industry experts.
The participants will prepare reports and blogs and share their experience with the South Australian wine industry.
Ms Hansen said she was incredibly grateful to be given the opportunity as a young person in the industry.
“Basically there were a number of great wine capitals that you could choose to go to, but the two main Cabernet producing regions were Napa and Bordeaux,” Ms Hansen said.
“I guess Bordeaux drew my attention because there are a lot of producers focusing on Cabernet Franc.
“Even though Cabernet Franc is a small part of what we do at Penley, it is growing and it has been a big focus for the winemaking department so I really wanted to focus on that during my trip.”
During her first year as a fully fledged winemaker, Ms Hansen has experimented with small batch wines, which she said was an exciting part of vintage 2019.
“I am very lucky to be able to experiment with new ideas and techniques here like using concrete vessels, or whole bunches,” she said.
“That has been invaluable to my career I think and I am really grateful to work at a winery that really supports my creativity.
“To be going on a trip like this is just another amazing experience that will be so important for my career.
“To be away from the winery for a month is a big ask, but my bosses were so on board with me giving the trip a go so I am really lucky in that sense.”
Ms Hansen has worked in Coonawarra for a number of years but has spent time working in Austria during a vintage.
The opportunity to take part in another vintage overseas was a “bucket list” item for Ms Hansen.
“The applications were due at Easter which is smack bang in the middle of vintage,” she said.
“So I was up very, very late one night trying to put it all together and I did not have much hope of being accepted.
“The date then came and went for when you would find out if you were accepted and I had not received a call so I figured I did not make the cut and I would just keep doing what I am doing.
“But then about a month later I got a call saying I would be taking part this year so it was definitely a huge shock but it was such a great feeling.”
Ms Hansen said she was busy trying to get herself prepared for the month away.
“I am frantically trying to learn French so I am able to communicate well enough with the producers I meet,” she said.
“Plus I am trying to make sure everything at Penley will work smoothly while I am away.
“It will be a big undertaking but I am really lucky to have everyone’s support and help so I think it will all work out perfectly.”
Other participants in the exchange will travel to Napa Valley, San Francisco and Chile, in addition to two others heading to Bordeaux.
