Basset foundation releases first Golden Vines Hall of Fame nominees

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 09 March, 2021

Liquid Icons, the fine wine research and content production company founded by Gerard Basset OBE MW MS and his friend Lewis Chester, has announced the nominees for The Golden Vines Hall of Fame Award and The Golden Vines Innovation Award.

The winners, along with other Golden Vines Award winners, will be given their trophies at a fundraising event at Annabel’s Private Members’ Club in Mayfair on 7 October 2021.

The new awards ceremony, which is part of a new initiative to raise funds for funding diversity and inclusion-related wine education and scholarship programmes, follows discussions concerning a lack of racial diversity and representation at top levels of the wine industry.

Unveiled virtually earlier this month, Nina Basset said we are at ‘ground zero’ when it comes to tackling matters of diversity within the wine trade.

“There are currently no black masters of wine and only three BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) master sommeliers, all of which are based in the US.

“The industry at the top level is disappointingly devoid of diversity. We hope through the scholarships, we will help to change the world in a small way and honour Gerard's legacy,” she said

All proceeds will go to scholarship programmes and educational initiatives via The Gerard Basset Wine Education Charitable Foundation.

The nominees for The Golden Vines Hall of Fame Award are as follows: Aubert de Villaine, Domaine de la Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (France); Paul Draper, former head winemaker, Ridge Vineyards (USA); Peter Gago, Penfolds (Australia); Richard Geoffroy, Former Chef de Cave, Dom Pérignon (France); Roberto Conterno, Giacomo Conterno (Italy).

The pre-listed nominees for The Golden Vines Innovation Award are: Amorim Cork; Coravin; International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV); UC Davis Department of Viticulture & Enology, California; Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET).

The Golden Vines Awards aim to become the ‘Oscars of the wine word’, with prizes being awarded to the world’s best fine wine producers as voted by leading members of the global fine wine. Polling opened yesterday, 8 March.

Applications for the Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships are now open and will close on 16 April days. Click here to apply. Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships — Liquid Icons.

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