Gérard Basset OBE MW MS MBA OIV MSc ASI World Champion

Dearly Departed Founder, Liquid Icons

Gerard (7 March 1957 – 16 January 2019) was without question one of the greatest wine professionals of a generation. He was the first and only individual to hold the excruciatingly challenging Master of Wine qualification simultaneously with the Master Sommelier, Bordeaux KEDGE Wine MBA and the OIV MSc; an achievement that is unlikely to be repeated for years to come. The crowning glory of his career came in April 2010 when he won the ASI World Sommelier Championship (Chile, 2010), cementing his extraordinary domination of the industry. This was further augmented on receiving the OBE in the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to hospitality and again in March 2013 when he joined the ranks of the wine elite as Decanter’s Man of the Year.  Most recently made Chevalier of the Mérite Agricole by the French Minister of Agriculture.

Parallel to this success was a growing business empire that many only dream of, for Gerard was a founding partner of the hugely successful Hotel du Vin Group, which grew to six hotels before it was sold to Malmaison for £66 million. During his ten years at the helm Gerard mentored and trained a generation of young sommeliers who sought out his expertise and guidance to launch their careers. Many have gone on to win industry awards and more still to launch their own successful businesses on the back of their experience at Hotel du Vin and, specifically, their grounding under Gerard.