Students sip and spit with nation's finest

USQ Lecturer in Wine Science, Associate Professor Rob Learmonth with be supervising students as they assist judges at the RASQ Wine Show.

As judges sip and spit, the first crop of USQ Wine Science students will be taking it all in – the judges wisdom that is - this weekend (3 - 4 June) at the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland (RASQ) Wine Show.

Several USQ students will be assisting the judging panel at the RASQ 2006 Wine Show and Mediterranean Challenge as a range of Queensland wines are critiqued, in the Glenvale Room at the Toowoomba Show Grounds from 10am – 4pm both days.

USQ Wine Science Lecturer, Associate Professor Rob Learmonth said it will be a great learning experience for the students to have the chance to listen in on the judging process.

"We are endeavouring to make this a valuable educational experience as well as a public service exercise; and when time permits we will get some of the judges to talk to the students in between judging different wine classes," Associate Professor Learmonth said.

"The students' job will be to pour wines and deliver them to the judging rooms.

"Being involved in this activity is highly complementary to their studies in Wine Science, and is an excellent introduction to aspects that they will study later on in their degrees, including advanced tasting and how to judge and score wines.

"They will be exposed to a real judging process, with both expert and trainee judges, which should be a very useful educational experience for them."

The expert judges include Master of Wine, Peter Scudamore-Smith who is also a USQ graduate.

USQ currently has 14 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Wine Science program, which was first offered this year through the Queensland College of Wine Tourism (QCWT).

The QCWT is the first specific wine training facility in Queensland and over time will provide training from Year 11 and entry levels through to postgraduate levels. 

QCWT partners include USQ, Stanthorpe State High School and the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE, with six other gateway schools, Kingaroy State High School, Murgon State High School, Mt Tamborine High School, Centenary Heights High School, Sheldon College and Nudgee College also involved.

Fiona Taylor, +61 7 3470 4117