Word Champion Sommelier, Gérard Basset, has been awarded the OBE* in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Considered by many to be one of the world’s greatest authorities on wine, Basset is credited with changing perceptions of wine service worldwide, whilst training and mentoring a generation of young sommeliers.
Hampshire-based Basset was born and raised in France, embarking on a career as a sommelier when he moved to the UK in the 1980s. He quickly established himself within the industry, winning a succession of awards and accolades both in the UK and internationally.
He is the only individual ever to have completed the fiendishly challenging Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, and MBA (Wine) qualifications, and has represented Great Britain winning every major sommelier award.
A co-founder of Hotel du Vin Group, Basset has simultaneously enjoyed business success. Today he runs the boutique wine hotel, TerraVina, in the New Forest with his wife, Nina.
Speaking as the Birthday Honours were announced Basset said, “This is a great honour for me; to have my achievements recognised in this way gives me enormous pride. I am indebted to many within the industry for their support, but not least my family who have stood by me as I indulged my ambitions.”
* Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Dominique Peyral-Bon
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