Jancis Robinson MW, the renowned wine expert from England, was recently in New York City, for a special dinner for the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET.) Graduates and students of WSET from across the US and Canada attended the dinner at the Manzanilla Spanish Brasserie in Manhattan.

Speakers for the event included WSET Chief Executive Ian Harris and Jancis Robinson MW. Both Harris and Robinson commented on the valuable benefits of WSET. Robinson noted that “Without it (WSET), you just tend to stick to those regions or varieties that you personally like and you risk never being in a position to discover new things.”

With regard of the importance of the United States to WSET Harris said, “Of our total of over 48,000 students last year, ten percent are in the USA, making it our third biggest market after the UK and Greater China. But where Diploma is concerned, the US is our second most important market, and I’m delighted to be able to put on an event here.”

Wine and Spirits Education Trust

The Wine and Spirits Education Trust is a wine education organization. Currently WSET courses are offered in 62 countries and available in 17 languages. WSET covers wine and spirits education from beginners to experts. WSET is one way to learn about geography and history in relationship to wine. Terry wrote a review of the WSET intermediate course that he attended in 2007.

Jancis Robinson, MW

Jancis Robinson, MW is a wine critic journalist and author.  She is the Honorary President of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET.) A prolific writer, two of her most recent books are American Wine: The Ultimate Companion to the Wines and Wineries of the United States and Wine Grapes – a complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties. Robinson has co-authored The World Atlas of Wine and Wine Grapes. She is also editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine. Robinson’s comprehensive website is at JancisRobinson.com. A portion of the website is free while another area, Purple Pages, requires a paid subscription. She travels widely for wine events.

WSET and Jancis Robinson’s website are just two of many ways to learn about wine. Check them out and see if they meet your wine education needs.

Cheers! Kathy