Over 500 Diploma graduates, industry leaders, scholarship winners and their guests gathered last night at Guildhall, City of London, to celebrate the outstanding achievements of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) candidates for the past academic year 2014/15.
Hosted by WSET Honorary President Gerard Basset MW and WSET Chief Executive Ian Harris, 47 awards and prizes were presented to top performing WSET candidates. 124 of the year’s 316 Diploma graduates were also in attendance for the annual graduate procession. Graduates and award winners
hailed from the UK, the Netherlands, Greece, Russia, the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, China and Japan, representing the diverse reach and relevance of WSET qualifications.
Also in attendance to mark the occasion were many industry heavyweights and long-standing supporters of WSET including, Jancis Robinson MW, Laura Jewell MW, Tony Laithwaite, and Marius Berlemann, Project Director at ProWein.
WSET Chief Executive Ian Harris, Jancis Robinson MW, Tony Laithwaite
Award and graduation highlights:
- Vintners’ Cup – Jingwei Sun. Awarded to the student who achieved the highest aggregate mark across all units of the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits.
- The Riedel Trophy for the WSET Educator of the Year – Chris Powell founder of The Local Wine School network. Awarded to the individual or company that has made a significant contribution to WSET courses and qualifications.
- WSET Lifetime Achievement Award – Richard Paterson, Master Blender at Whyte & Mackay
- The inaugural IWC Sake Level Three Award – Adam Bekhor of WineWire. Awarded to the top student passing the WSET Level 3 Award in Sake.
- At 73 years of age, Mr Sotiris Kollias of Greece became one of the oldest individuals to gain the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits.
- 47 scholarship winners and 124 Diploma graduates were in attendance.
2014/15 academic year numbers:
- 61,452 candidates sat WSET exams
- 316 individuals gained their WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines and Spirits
