Subscriber login Close [x]
remember me
You are not logged in.

Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship judges reveal shortlist

Published:  30 January, 2020

The Gerard Basset Travel Scholarship 2020, created in honour and memory of the late Gerard Basset OBE, MS, MW, MSc (OIV), shortlist has been revealed.

Having narrowed down the list of candidates, judges Nina and Romané Basset, Tim Atkin MW, Ronan Sayburn MS and Laura Rhys MS, have revealed the final four are Melania Battiston (Medlar), Oliver Carr (The Ledbury), Lise Donier-Meroz (L’Enclume) and Claude Millée (Restaurant Andrew Fairlie, Gleneagles Hotel).

The winning sommelier will receive a travel bursary of £5,000 and help from the judging panel in planning and tailoring their trip to their chosen wine region, to make it “as educational and interesting an experience as possible”. 

The other three shortlisted candidates will also benefit from the mentorship of the judges to help further their careers.

The judging panel said it had ensured that the shortlisted candidates’ criteria closely followed the ethos of Basset who was passionate about travelling to wine regions across the world as a means of education to further a sommelier's knowledge.

Some “really strong” applications had come through from a number of sommeliers who “evidently have a real passion for wine”, said Nina Basset.

“Just about everyone has a different wish-list region or country they would like to visit, which would come as no surprise to Gerard who had so many personal favourite wine places!

“He believed that travelling to a region really was the best way to learn about it, which is why we we’ve set up this award. Education and inspiring young sommeliers was so important to Gerard, and the travel bursary will enable this to carry on in his name.”

The successful sommelier will be announced at a paulée style dinner on 1 February at 67 Pall Mall. 


Keywords: