Wine
Taster's Nose Insured for Millions
By
REGAN McTARSNEY
LONDON
(AP) - His schnoz is not to be sniffed at. The nose
of leading European winemaker and taster Ilja Gort has been
insured for euro5 million ($8 million), Lloyd's of London said
Tuesday. He 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 famous Bordeaux
region of France, so he got it insured.
The custom-made policy covers Gort for the loss of either his
nose or his sense of smell and has some unusual conditions.
The
insurance contract includes a list of what Gort considers "old-fashioned
rules" to protect his nose. The Dutchman is not allowed
to ride a motorcycle or be a boxer, knife thrower's assistant
or a fire-breather.
"I
may not fight against Mike Tyson," Gort said. Jonathan
Thomas, the lead underwriter at Lloyd's Watkins Syndicate, took
Gort's long, curly beard into account when drafting the policy
and added a clause about Gort only going to experienced barbers
who will keep their razors steady near his nose.
"These
insurance policies, they're not all dry," Thomas said.
"There's a bit of fun we can add with them as well."
This
is one of many Lloyd's body part insurance policies. Lloyd's
reported entertainment icon Marlene Dietrich had her legs insured
and that Rolling Stone guitarist Keith Richards was paid when
he injured his finger on tour in the 1990s.
America Ferrara, star of the ABC television show "Ugly
Betty," has her smile insured for $10 million (euro6.3
million), Lloyd's said.
"Let's
face it, it's a Lloyd's specialty," Thomas said. "Lloyd's
specializes in unusual risks."
Thomas
insured the senses of taste and smell of wine taster Angela
Mount for 10 million pounds ($20.1 million; euro12.7 million)
in 2003 for her bosses at British supermarket chain Somerfield.
Gort
said his sense of smell is his wine taster asset because although
the tongue has five areas of taste, the nose can distinguish
millions of different scents. When getting a physical examination
for the policy, his nose was judged "better than normal."
Gort's
friends have teased him for his newly appraised nose, even jesting
to punch him in the nose so they can split the money.
"Every
time I look in the mirror, I see euro5 million," Gort said,
"but I think I'll get used to it."