On June 4, 2012, the 2011 LALLEMAND ITALY AWARD was presented for the Best Student Award for a Master’s Thesis at a ceremony in conjunction with a round table on malolactic fermentation at the Aosta Institut Agricole Régional.
Launched by the Italian branch of LALLEMAND to promote the development and knowledge related to biotechnologies applied to winemaking, the competition was open to young graduates in viticulture and oenology, agricultural sciences, food science and technology, and biotechnologies from various Italian universities.
The 2011 Lallemand Italy Award went to Alexis Praz for his thesis entitled “Phenotypic and Genotypic Traits of Native Malolactic Bacteria in Aosta Valley Wines,” which he presented for an interuniversity master’s degree in viticultural and oenological sciences at the universities of Turin, Milan, Palermo, Sassari, and Foggia. “Excellent” was the jury’s assessment of both the form and content.
Also present at the award ceremony were Professor Roberto Foschino and Dr. Ileana Vigentini of the University of Milan, as supervisor and co-supervisor of the winning thesis, as well as the director of research at the Aosta Institut Agricole Régional and the researchers at that institute who assisted with the necessary laboratory work.
Honourable mention was received by Alberto Aliberti, who came in second with his dissertation, “Molecular and Technological Properties of Yeasts Isolated from Falanghina Grapes of Various Origins,” presented at the University of Naples Federico II. Paolo Ulpiani also accepted his honourable mention for his third-place thesis, “Evolution of Glutathione in Winemaking,” presented at the University of Turin.
