Gerard Basset

Gerard Francis Claude Basset OBE, MS, MW, MBA, OIV MSc[1] (7 March 1957 – 16 January 2019[2]) was the owner of Hotel TerraVina, a New Forest Hotel near Southampton in Hampshire, United Kingdom. At the time of his death, he was the only person in the world to hold the combined titles of Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, Wine MBA,[3] OIV MSc in Wine Management[4] and World's Best Sommelier.[5]

Early life and education

Basset was in the industrial city of St Étienne. His parents were Marguerite (née Conorton), a midwife, and Pierre-René Basset, a draughtsman.[6]

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.

Career

In 1989 Bassett qualified as a Master Sommelier,[7] and in 1998 as a Master of Wine.[8] 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).[9] He was subsequently ranked in 2nd place in the World's Best Sommelier Competition on three occasions,[10][11] until he won the title upon his sixth attempt in 2010.[12]

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.[13] In 2007, Basset opened Hotel TerraVina in the New Forest near Southampton with his wife Nina. Hotel TerraVina closed at the end of February 2018 and reopened on 5 March as kitchen café, deli and boutique B&B, Spot in the Woods.[14]

Personal life

Gerard and his wife Nina had a son, Romané.[6]

Death

Basset died of cancer aged 61. [6]

Publications

Basset's book, The Wine Experience (edited by Kyle Cathie), was published in 2000.

Awards and honours

Basset was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to the hospitality industry,[15] and selected as the Decanter 2013 Man of the Year.[16]

Basset served as President of the Court of Master Sommeliers (Europe)[7] and in 2014 was appointed Honorary President of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, which he held for three years.[17]

In January 2018, Basset was awarded the Ordre du Mérite Agricole by the French ambassador to the UK for his work in supporting the French wine industry.[18]

See also

References
  1. "Gerard Basset gets OIV MSc in Wine Management - Decanter". Decanter. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  2. Lauren Eads (16 January 2019). "Tributes paid to the inimitable Gerard Basset OBE". The Drinks Business. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  3. Durack, Terry, The Independent (7 December 2008). "Delicious wine". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  4. "Gerard Basset gets OIV MSc in Wine Management - Decanter". Decanter. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
  5. "Briton chosen world's best sommelier". AFP. 16 April 2010. Retrieved 16 April 2010.
  6. Gerard Basset obituary: Master sommelier and founder of the Hotel du Vin chain who changed public attitudes to wine drinking Robert Joseph, theguardian.com 25 January 2019
  7. "The Board - Court of Master Sommeliers". Court of Master Sommeliers. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  8. mastersofwine.org, Masters of Wine, Gerard Basset profile Archived 2010-09-26 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "ASI:Continental Winners | Association de la Sommellerie Internationale". www.sommellerie-internationale.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  10. "11th Competition for World's Best Sommelier". sommellerie-internationale.com. 12 October 2004. Archived from the original on 10 June 2008. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  11. "Sommelier du Monde 2007". sommellerie-internationale.com. 21 May 2005. Archived from the original on 16 September 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  12. Rose, Anthony, The Independent (17 April 2010). World's best sommelier works in Britain
  13. "MWB acquires Hotel du Vin chain". newser.com. 1 November 2004. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  14. "Spot in the Woods". The Telegraph. 19 July 2018. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2 September 2018.
  15. "No. 59808". The London Gazette (Supplement). 11 June 2011. p. 9.
  16. Woodard, Eichard, Decanter.com (6 March 2013). "Gerard Basset named Decanter Man of the Year 2013".
  17. "2015 Awards and Graduation | Wine & Spirit Education Trust". www.wsetglobal.com. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  18. "UK trade members awarded Mérite Agricole". www.thedrinksbusiness.com. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
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