Lynne Levin appointed Patron of the Oxford Cultural Collective

 

 

21st June 2019

We are delighted to announce that Lynne Levin has been appointed a Patron of the Oxford Cultural Collective. Known for her success in the international wine trade, Lynne is also a long-term supporter of higher education, including as an award-winning mentor of students who are committed to careers in the hospitality, food and drinks sectors.

 

Donald Sloan, Chair of the Oxford Cultural Collective, commented: “I am thrilled that Lynne Levin has accepted our invitation to become a Patron. As well as bringing a fresh and innovative style, built over years as a successful entrepreneur, Lynne strongly supports the ethos of the Oxford Cultural Collective. She believes in the power of education to transform opportunities for individuals, organisations and communities. Lynne will also help us focus more on the role wine, its production, evolution and cultural significance, as a key dimension of gastronomic cultures internationally.”

 

Australian-born Lynne Levin began her professional life in biochemistry before launching her career in hospitality in 1979. Early career highlights included founding a pioneering restaurant and delicatessen and managing the Heathcore vineyard, both in Victoria, and owning and running Restaurant Clichy in Melbourne.

She went on to establish Melbourne’s first dedicated on-premise wine and liquor wholesale distribution company, and formed Gipps Street Cellars, a premium wine and produce store, which was rated among the top 10 Gourmet Food outlets in The Good Food Guide in 1986.

After selling her on-premise and retail companies, Lynne identified a need for a dedicated procurement and beverage supply chain management to the restaurant industry. She established Market Integrated Marketing Solutions, offering consultancy on marketing and brand penetration, promotions and event management.

In 2002, Lynne established and operated Fluid Movements Distribution, a fully integrated supply chain solution for independent wine producers and importers, servicing more than 38 wineries and companies. Extending this business from Australia to international markets, she established Great Wine Estates in 2005 to deliver accessible export strategies to independent wineries.

 

Based in Europe since 2005, Lynne is now co-owner and producer of the organic Domaine Levin Wines (Certified Organic No 64932 / 12P ECOCERT) in the Loire Valley, France, managing the winery and 19 organic vineyards that produce the family’s Levin Wines brand. Lynne has driven many innovations to enhance the certified organic practice and biodynamic principles that express the family’s sustainable, handcrafted, authentic winemaking philosophy. Practically, these innovations have meant eschewing artificial interventions to nurture a healthy ecosystem, producing vines that are more resilient, grapes that are more complex and the resulting organic wines, more nuanced. Levin Wines organic and eco-sustainable practices include: hand picking, leaf plucking, certified organic and biodynamic vineyard preparations, high open spaced trellising, hand ploughing and green harvesting; bottling under screw cap, complete supply chain traceability and a commitment to soil conservation using companion planting and no-till agriculture. With a renowned palate, Lynne leads the winemaking team at Levin Wines and takes a hands-on role at directing both the aromatic fermentation process of individual vineyard parcels. She preserves the Levin style and quality during the tasting and final blend for Levin’s Village, Flagship and Premium Cuvée wines.