Georgia Mehlhopt, Graduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology
Georgia’s career change led to her becoming an award-winning winemaker
Georgia felt she needed to give her dream career a shot.
As a teenager Georgia toyed with the idea of winemaking, but decided to pursue a Bachelor of Laws instead. That was going to be her career path, until she had the chance to talk to winemakers along the Camino de Santiago trailing across Northern Spain.
“I probably would have come straight back to New Zealand and gone back to being a lawyer, but I got this idea that maybe winemaking could be a cool career.”
Georgia found the one-year Graduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology was the perfect pathway for her.
I thought I owed it to myself to give it a try. I’d been thinking about it for years.
“It’s a really renowned qualification. I’ve been to Australia and Canada and everybody knows about the Lincoln courses.”
Georgia now works at Greystone Wines. She’s been able to apply her law background to the business side of the industry, giving her a unique combination of skills valued by her peers.
The career change has been going well for Geogia, who was named the 2024 Tonnellerie de Mercurey New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year.