LONDON — His schnoz is not to be sniffed at. A Lloyd’s of London syndicate said Tuesday that it is insuring the nose of winemaker Ilja Gort for $8 million.
The Dutch winemaker and taster took out the policy after hearing about a man who lost his sense of smell in a car accident.
“I thought it must be a horror to lose your smell,” Gort said. “It would mean that you cannot taste wine anymore. Tasting wine is something you do with your nose, not your mouth.”
Gort, 47, said his nose is essential for him to produce top quality wines at his Chateau de la Garde vineyard in the Bordeaux region of France.
The custom policy covers Gort for the loss of either his nose or his sense of smell and has some conditions for protecting his nose.
Among other things, he is barred from riding a motorcycle or working as a knife thrower’s assistant or fire-breather.
And he can’t be a boxer.
The Associated Press
