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| Celebrating Wine Education |
| By Rajiv Singhal |
| The eighth annual WSET Awards and Graduation Ceremony was hosted in the Guildhall in London by the Honorary President Gerard Basset OBE MS MW MBA (who recently assumed the role) and Chief Executive since 2002, Ian Harris to celebrate the achievements of all the scholarship winners and graduates. A stunning venue, The Guildhall was built in the heart of the City in the twelfth century, and it was where the very powerful Lord Mayor of London and the ruling merchant class held court. 800 years on, it is home of the City of London Corporation. The splendour of this imposing rare medieval listed landmark is awe-inspiring. |
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The ceremony at the Great Hall |
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| The Wine & Spirit Education Trust was founded on October 17, 1969 to provide high quality education and training in wines and spirits. In the last academic year 2013-14, a record 56,215 students took a WSET examination. Of these 76% came from outside the UK and 18,330 people were introduced to the world of wine through the Level 1. WSET courses are administered in 18 languages and available through a network of 600+ Approved Program Providers in 62 countries which include for the first time – Myanmar, Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, Georgia and the Cayman Islands. |
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Gerard Basset and Ian Harris |
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| The evening began with a graduate procession in the Victorian gothic styled Old Library. As many as 142 successful and very enthusiastic graduates of the Level 4 (many from overseas) were present to receive their Diplomas from Gerard Basset. Ian Harris managed to make an otherwise repetitive presentation very enjoyable by sharing an interesting insight about each laureate as he invited them to stage amidst applause from the audience comprising laureates family and friends. |
| Gonzalez Byass sponsored the 'Tio Pepe' reception in the medieval Crypts where I could not but notice the stunning vaulted ceiling resting upon stone and marble pillars. The refreshing and very typical sherry set the tone for the Awards Ceremony in the Great Hall. Built in 1411, this 152 ft long hall has a splendid high-arched 89 ft ceiling, Gothic stained glass windows and monuments to national heroes including the Duke of Wellington, Sir Winston Churchill and the famous giants Gog and Magog, who were said to have founded London. |
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The 'Tio Pepe' reception in the Crypts |
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| Welcoming the audience of over 500 people, Gerard Basset said, "we have gathered here to celebrate the enthusiasm, passion and achievement of the candidates and the winners". Ian Harris doubled up as Master of Ceremonies to announce 53 awards for the academic year 2013-14. The Vintners' Cup given to the top Diploma graduate of the year was awarded to Julie Frankland of Cambridge Wine Merchants. And the coveted Riedel Trophy for WSET Educator of the Year was jointly awarded to Bibendum (UK), Westminster Kingsway College (UK) and the International Wine Education Centre (South Africa). |
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Julie Frankland with the Vintners' Cup |
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| Even if overshadowed by the results and sheer numbers of the Asian powerhouse, India was represented in the list of honours. It was indeed a proud moment as the scholarship winner flashed on the giant screens in the Great Hall and the wine world recognised John Clive Castelino, currently working at Charosa Wineries. |
| I had met Ian Harris in London in the Summer of 2010, and we connected instantly around a common interest in wine education in India. India had only slowly moved towards educating the wine trade around a structured pop up training that I had conceived and executed based on a curriculum designed by decorated French sommeliers under the Wines of France program between 2001 and 2008. |
| Ian Harris was keen that awards be established to recognise Indian qualifiers. And taking cue from the Champagne Bureau UK, I agreed to institute the WSET Level 3 Champagne Scholarship, India to be awarded on interview to the high achieving candidate from India. I further strengthened the relationship with WSET in 2013. FINE Wine & Champagne India, the first and only officially registered wine magazine in India, announced prizes to all Level 2 and Level 3 graduates in India in line with the pioneering objective "to further and fund wine education in India". |
| The first WSET programs in India were offered by Sanjay Menon's KBR School of Wine since 2007 and subsequently, a host of providers in multiple cities. In 2011, ITC Hotels spearheaded the shift to the next level when they facilitated the first WSET Level 3 programme in India for their staff. WSET is now a popular and sought after qualification in India, with some qualifying for the Level 4 Diploma, albeit outside of India. According to the WSET, student numbers in India almost tripled in the academic year 2013-14. |
| WSET has returned a remarkable year-on-year growth through a period of the global economic uncertainty. Ian Harris concluded with the optimism that "he would look forward to congratulating more graduates and award winners next year". He was thirsty, as were we, and having perfectly orchestrated the hour long presentation ceremony, he had earned his flute of the Champagne Charles Orban Blanc de Noirs offered by Marks & Spencer in the Livery Hall. This drew the curtains on another year of successful achievement by WSET and its global student community. |
| Rajiv Singhal was present at the WSET Graduation and Awards Ceremony in London to confer the Award(s) that he has instituted for Indian scholars. For the first time in 5 years, he managed to synchronise his travel plans to London to be part of this spectacular evening. Bouquets or brickbats, please let us know what you think and do tell us where vino india could improve. Email us at info@vinoindia.in |
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