Top wine taster insures his hooter
Lloyd’s the home of the quirky insurance policy, has insured a leading European winemaker and taster’s nose for €5m (£3.9m).
Working with Allianz Nederland and reinsurance broker Benfield, Watkins Syndicate at Lloyd’s created a bespoke policy that covers Ilja Gort for the loss of his nose and sense of smell.
Gort (pictured) is the Dutch owner of Chateau de la Garde in Bordeaux and producer of Tulipe Wines. He says his nose is the most important asset in his profession and a good sense of smell is essential to guarantee the constant quality of his wines.
Jonathan Thomas, lead underwriter at Watkins Syndicate who co-insured the policy with Allianz Nederland, said: “This certainly is an insurance policy not to be sniffed at. The nose and sense of smell of a winemaker are as important as the fingers of a chef.”
