Dr Akshay Baboo is a winemaker, rootstock specialist, lecturer of oenlogy, and programme manager of the bachelors of science (honours) course in viticulture and oenology at Plumpton College.
Between 2004 – 2010 he gained experience working as a Winemaker for some of India’s largest wine producers.
After receiving the prestigious Raman-Charpak fellowship in 2011, he decided to complete his Masters of Science in the École Nationale Supérieure d’Agronomie – Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), in viticulture and oenology. This is where he first got interested in Rootstocks. During his time there, he also obtained the National Diploma of Oenology (DNO) from the Université de Bordeaux. Subsequently, he obtained his doctorate from the University of Turin.
Dr Baboo has since consulted for some of the world’s leading wine producers in France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Swizerland and India. His last assignment saw him working for one of India’s largest wine producers, where he was responsible for the viticulture spanning over 3500 hectares, and for winemaking, where he oversaw production of over 10 million cases of wine across 7 wineries.
Besides English he is fluent in French, Occitan, Italian, and six other Indian languages. His current research focus is in wine chemistry, wine ageing, and rootstock-site compatibility.