Gerard Basset

Gerard Francis Claude Basset (born 1957) OBE, MS, MW, MBA, OIV is the owner of Hotel Terravina, a New Forest Hotel near Southampton in Hampshire, United Kingdom. According to a December 2008 interview with The Independent, he is currently the only person in the world to hold the combined titles of Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, Wine MBA[1] and World's Best Sommelier.[2]

Basset attended the Lycée Albert Camus in Firminy, France. After training in Lyon, he moved to England to start his career as a sommelier, quickly becoming Head Sommelier at Chewton Glen, the Michelin-starred hotel in Hampshire. In 1989 he qualified as a Master Sommelier[3] and in 1998 as a Master of Wine.[4] In 1992, he also won Best International Sommelier for French Wines (Paris) and four years later he went on to win The Best Sommelier of Europe (1996).[5] He has subsequently been ranked in 2nd place in the World's Best Sommelier Competition on three occasions,[6][7] until he won the title upon his sixth attempt in 2010.[8]

In 1994 Basset co-founded Hotel du Vin with partner Robin Hutson, by opening their first hotel in Winchester. The chain grew to six hotels before selling to MWB Group in October 2004.[9]

Basset published his first book in 2000 that focused on wine tasting designed for wine students called The Wine Experience edited by Kyle Cathie. In 2007, Basset opened Hotel TerraVina in the New Forest near Southampton with his wife Nina.

Basset was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to the hospitality industry,[10] and selected as the Decanter 2013 Man of the Year.[11]

Basset serves as President of the Court of Master Sommeliers (Europe)[12] and in 2014 he was appointed as Honorary President of the Wine and Spirits Education Trust.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Durack, Terry, The Independent (2008-12-07). "Delicious wine". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  2. ↑ "Briton chosen world's best sommelier". AFP. 2010-04-16. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
  3. ↑ "The Board - Court of Master Sommeliers". Court of Master Sommeliers. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  4. ↑ mastersofwine.org, Masters of Wine, Gerard Basset profile
  5. ↑ "ASI:Continental Winners | Association de la Sommellerie Internationale". www.sommellerie-internationale.com. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  6. ↑ "11th Competition for World's Best Sommelier". sommellerie-internationale.com. 2004-10-12. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  7. ↑ "Sommelier du Monde 2007". sommellerie-internationale.com. 2005-05-21. Archived from the original on September 16, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  8. ↑ Rose, Anthony, The Independent (April 17, 2010). World's best sommelier works in Britain
  9. ↑ "MWB acquires Hotel du Vin chain". newser.com. 2004-11-01. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59808. p. 9. 11 June 2011.
  11. ↑ Woodard, Eichard, Decanter.com (March 6, 2013). "Gerard Basset named Decanter Man of the Year 2013".
  12. ↑ "The Board - Court of Master Sommeliers". Court of Master Sommeliers. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
  13. ↑ "2015 Awards and Graduation | Wine & Spirit Education Trust". www.wsetglobal.com. Retrieved 2016-06-15.
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