A taste of chemistry in France

A well-rounded education goes beyond just textbooks and lectures, it’s about finding yourself in the unexpected. For Charlotte Doyle, a third-year Medicinal Chemistry student at the University of Waterloo, that journey took her from the lab to the vineyards of Dijon, France, to learn about the chemistry of wine making.

Thanks to her upbringing with a French mother and her French immersion education, Doyle already had a strong connection to the country. Growing up, her family vacations involved hopping on a plane to spend time with family members in Paris. Naturally, a co-op position in France was an excellent fit. Securing the role through a family friend, Doyle leapt at the chance to complete her placement abroad. 

“I’ve always loved France,” says Doyle. “It felt like the perfect opportunity to use my bilingual skills while gaining hands-on work experience.”

Her role covered various stages of the wine making process during the busy fall harvest season. Her first task was sampling grapes and sending them to the lab to see if they were ready to be harvested. During harvest, it was all hands on deck! While grapes were being collected as quickly as possible, Doyle was doing quality assurance inside, sorting through them and removing any that didn’t meet the winery’s standards. During fermentation, she chemically checked the sugar levels of the wine, learning from a wine chemist how to treat it based on lab results.

“I didn’t know anything about wine going into this role,” she says. “But I’ve come out with so much knowledge on the processes and history of wine making in France.”

A highlight for her was the end-of-harvest party called La Paulée, a tradition celebrated at all wineries in the Burgundy region of France. Everyone gathers for delicious food and to toast to a job well done.

Although Doyle doesn’t plan to pursue wine making, the experience provided her with an example of a healthy workplace. “I felt encouraged to ask questions, and making a mistake was seen as an opportunity to learn,” she says. “Now I have a better idea of what to look for in my career.” 

Reflecting on her time abroad, she advises incoming co-op students to have an open mind and embrace unexpected opportunities. “By challenging yourself to try something outside of your comfort zone, you might find yourself experiencing something you never imagined would be part of your journey here at Waterloo,” she says. 

Learn more about travelling the world while earning your degree with the Faculty of Science.