{{short description|English sommelier (1957–2019)}} {{Use British English|date=March 2019}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}} '''Gerard Francis Claude Basset''' OBE, MS, MW, MBA, OIV MSc<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/gerard-basset-oiv-bsc-wine-management-371892/|title=Gerard Basset gets OIV MSc in Wine Management - Decanter|date=2017-07-02|work=Decanter|access-date=2017-09-23|language=en-US}}</ref> (7 March 1957 – 16 January 2019<ref>{{cite web|author=Lauren Eads |url=https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2019/01/tributes-paid-to-the-inimitable-gerard-basset-mw-ms-obe/ | title=Tributes paid to the inimitable Gerard Basset OBE |publisher=The Drinks Business |date=2019-01-16 |accessdate=2019-01-16}}</ref>) was the owner of Hotel TerraVina, a New Forest Hotel near Southampton in Hampshire, United Kingdom. At the time of his death, he was the only person in the world to hold the combined titles of Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, Wine MBA,<ref>{{cite web|last= Durack |first= Terry, ''The Independent''|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/reviews/delicious-wine-is-guaranteed-at-the-boutique-hotel-terravina-but-would-you-raise-a-glass-to-the-food-1052053.html |title=Delicious wine |publisher=independent.co.uk |date=2008-12-07 |accessdate=2009-06-15}}</ref> OIV MSc in Wine Management<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.decanter.com/wine-news/gerard-basset-oiv-bsc-wine-management-371892/|title=Gerard Basset gets OIV MSc in Wine Management - Decanter|date=2017-07-02|work=Decanter|access-date=2017-09-24|language=en-US}}</ref> and World's Best Sommelier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iyYqSJWfRZqMlcuewmyBB5V6CjUA |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227220726/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iyYqSJWfRZqMlcuewmyBB5V6CjUA |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 February 2012 | title=Briton chosen world's best sommelier|publisher=AFP |date=2010-04-16 |accessdate=2010-04-16}}</ref>

==Early life and education==

Basset was born in the industrial city of St Étienne. His parents were Marguerite (née Conorton), a midwife, and Pierre-René Basset, a draughtsman.<ref name="Basset obituary">[https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jan/25/gerard-basset-obituary Gerard Basset obituary: Master sommelier and founder of the Hotel du Vin chain who changed public attitudes to wine drinking] Robert Joseph, theguardian.com 25 January 2019 </ref>

==Career== In 1989 Bassett qualified as a Master Sommelier,<ref name="courtofmastersommeliers1">{{cite web|url=http://www.courtofmastersommeliers.org/the-court/the-board/|title=The Board - Court of Master Sommeliers|website=Court of Master Sommeliers|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-15}}</ref> and in 1998 as a Master of Wine.<ref>mastersofwine.org, [http://www.mastersofwine.org/en/about/meet-the-masters/profile/index.cfm/id/512CA475-F131-4CA8-913B808945052B0E Masters of Wine, Gerard Basset profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926063157/http://mastersofwine.org/en/about/meet-the-masters/profile/index.cfm/id/512CA475-F131-4CA8-913B808945052B0E |date=2010-09-26 }}</ref> In 1992, he also won Best International Sommelier for French Wines (Paris) and four years later he went on to win The Best Sommelier of Europe (1996).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sommellerie-internationale.com/en/continental_winners/|title=ASI:Continental Winners {{!}} Association de la Sommellerie Internationale|website=www.sommellerie-internationale.com|access-date=2016-06-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702115551/http://www.sommellerie-internationale.com/en/continental_winners/|archive-date=2016-07-02|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was subsequently ranked in 2nd place in the World's Best Sommelier Competition on three occasions,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sommellerie-internationale.com/24+M52087573ab0.html |title=11th Competition for World's Best Sommelier |publisher=sommellerie-internationale.com |date=2004-10-12 |accessdate=2009-06-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080610170908/http://www.sommellerie-internationale.com/24+M52087573ab0.html |archivedate=10 June 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sommellerie-internationale.com/25+M52087573ab0.html |title=Sommelier du Monde 2007 |publisher=sommellerie-internationale.com |date=2005-05-21 |accessdate=2009-06-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090916121636/http://www.sommellerie-internationale.com/25+M52087573ab0.html |archivedate=16 September 2009 }}</ref> until he won the title upon his sixth attempt in 2010.<ref>Rose, Anthony, ''The Independent'' (17 April 2010). [https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/worlds-best-sommelier-works-in-britain-1947231.html World's best sommelier works in Britain]</ref>

In 1994 Basset co-founded Hotel du Vin with partner Robin Hutson, by opening their first hotel in Winchester. The chain grew to six hotels before selling to MWB Group in October 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newser.com/archive-business-news/1G1-124942640/mwb-acquires-hotel-du-vin-chaineuropemarylebone-warwick-balfour-groupbrief-article.html |title=MWB acquires Hotel du Vin chain |publisher=newser.com |date=2004-11-01 |accessdate=2009-06-15 }}{{dead link|date=October 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2007, Basset opened Hotel TerraVina in the New Forest near Southampton with his wife Nina. Hotel TerraVina closed at the end of February 2018 and reopened on 5 March as kitchen café, deli and boutique B&B, Spot in the Woods.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/england/hampshire/hotels/spot-in-the-woods-hotel/|title=Spot in the Woods|date=2018-07-19|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-09-02|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

==Personal life==

Basset and his wife Nina had a son. Basset died of cancer aged 61.<ref name="Basset obituary" />

==Awards and honours== Basset was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 Birthday Honours for services to the hospitality industry,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59808 |date=11 June 2011 |page=9 |supp=y }}</ref> and selected as the ''Decanter'' 2013 Man of the Year.<ref name=moty13>{{cite web|last= Woodard |first= Eichard, ''Decanter.com'' |title= Gerard Basset named Decanter Man of the Year 2013 |url= http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/583693/gerard-basset-named-decanter-man-of-the-year-2013 |date= 6 March 2013 }}</ref>

Basset served as President of the Court of Master Sommeliers (Europe)<ref name="courtofmastersommeliers1"/> and in 2014 was appointed Honorary President of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, which he held for three years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsetglobal.com/news-events/news/2016/january/19/2015-awards-and-graduation/|title=2015 Awards and Graduation {{!}} Wine & Spirit Education Trust|website=www.wsetglobal.com|access-date=2016-06-15}}</ref>

In January 2018, Basset was awarded the Ordre du Mérite Agricole by the French ambassador to the UK for his work in supporting the French wine industry.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/01/uk-trade-members-awarded-merite-agricole/|title=UK trade members awarded Mérite Agricole|website=www.thedrinksbusiness.com|date=9 January 2018 |language=en-US|access-date=2018-01-13}}</ref>

== See also == * List of wine personalities

==References== {{reflist}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Basset, Gerard}} Category:1957 births Category:2019 deaths Category:Masters of Wine Category:Sommeliers Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire Category:Master Sommeliers