27 MAY 2021 | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – Liquid Icons – the fine wine research and content production company founded by the late, great Gerard Basset OBE MW MS and his friend Lewis Chester DipWSET – are delighted to announce a series of new scholarships for BAME/BIPOC students, These are in addition to the headline Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships, the winners to be announced on 7th October at The Golden Vines Awards Ceremony at Annabel’s Private Members Club in London.
42 BAME/BIPOC students from 23 countries applied for The Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships, a far greater number than had been expected. As a result, Liquid Icons in association with its charitable funding partner, The Gerard Basset Wine Education Charitable Foundation, determined to create more opportunities for a number of the applicants not chosen to win the headline scholarships.
Two new scholarships, The Golden Vines Masters of Wine and The Golden Vines Master Sommelier Scholarships have been created. Both of these Golden Vines Masters of Wine and Golden Vines Master Sommelier Scholarships are worth £12,500 each, and will cover the full costs of tuition, examination and tastings incurred by the student studying for these programmes. The winners will be chosen by the same judging panel that is responsible for awarding The Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships. The Judging Panel comprised: Nina Basset FIH, Rajat Parr (Sandhi Wines), Carlton McCoy MS (Lawrence Wine Estates), Clement Robert MS (The Birley Clubs / Annabel’s) and lead judge Jancis Robinson OBE MW.
Additionally, Liquid Icons are delighted to announce a new partnership with the Wine Scholar Guild. 10 BAME/BIPOC students will be awarded the newly formed Golden Vines Wine Scholar Guild Scholarships. Thanks to the generosity of the Wine Scholar Guild, applicants to The Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarships will be chosen by the same judging panel for these 10 scholarships. Scholarship winners will have the opportunity to specialize in the country of their choice, by selecting enrolment in one of the Wine Scholar Guild’s advanced French, Spanish or Italian Wine Scholar Certification Programs.
The winners of The Golden Vines Masters of Wine, The Golden Vines Master Sommelier and the 10 Golden Vines Wine Scholar Guild Scholarships will be announced in June 2021.
About Liquid Icons:
Liquid Icons is a fine wine research and content production company founded by two friends to “do stuff in wine” – the late, great Gerard Basset OBE MW MS and Lewis Chester DipWSET. We create first-class original content and research about the world’s greatest fine wines and spirits. Our work encompasses motion picture, industry research, recognition and celebration of wine and spirits excellence, charitable and fundraising activities, as well as educational initiatives.
About The Gerard Basset Wine Education Charitable Foundation:
Set up to honour the legacy and memory of Gerard Basset OBE MW MS by addressing the wine industry’s most pressing issues through education, training & mentorship, the Gerard Basset Wine Education Charitable Foundation comprises a multidisciplinary team of industry-leading professionals as its Trustees: Nina Basset FIH, Romané Basset, Lewis Chester DipWSET, Ian Harris MBE DipWSET, and Jancis Robinson OBE MW.
https://gerardbassetfoundation.org
