Press Release: RAISE A GLASS THIS SEPTEMBER TO WSET’S WINE EDUCATION WEEK

GHC Asia
12.08.2019 18:49

Press release

Wine & Spirit Education Trust

2 August 2019, Shanghai, China

RAISE A GLASS THIS SEPTEMBER TO WSET’S WINE EDUCATION WEEK

WSET marks its 50th anniversary with its first ever international celebration of

wine education with events across Greater China

Whether you’re a novice or knowledgeable, mad for Merlot or puzzled by Pinot, the world of wine is one that’s ripe for discovery. Having awarded over 500,000 wine lovers one of its qualifications since it was founded in 1969, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, the largest global provider of wine, spirits and sake qualifications, is celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary with the first ever global Wine Education Week. The week, taking place from 9-15 September 2019, celebrates the diversity, taste and culture of the world of wine with a programme of interactive events, all of which are focused on learning about and enjoying wines from across the globe.

On September 9, Wine Education Week will kick off with events across the globe. London will be the site of a marquee event: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for wine lovers to help break a Guinness World Record for the largest ever recorded sommelierie lesson. China will take part in the worldwide launch as well. In Shanghai, for instance, wine specialists and enthusiasts will gather together at Wine Missionary for a fun and insightful education session hosted by wine expert, consultant and WSET Certified Educator Terry Xu. Mr. Xu will be sharing his valuable insights on pairing wine with food. Additionally, WSET will host a celebration at the The Desk in Hong Kong that begins with a tasting of some of the award-winning wines from the Decanter Asia Wine Awards. This will be followed by a fun and interactive class that demonstrates the synergies between components in food and wine and how they interact with each other.

Similar launch events will also be hosted at The Tasting Annex in Shenzhen and AWSEC in Guangzhou. Moreover, in Taipei, the Taiwan Wine Academy will explore how wines pair with traditional Taiwanese cuisine. These launches will then be followed up by over 100 events hosted by WSET’s approved program providers in cities across the region, from Xiamen to Xi’an to Nanjing.

WSET CEO Ian Harris comments: “Wine Education Week is a celebration of our mission to inspire and inform wine lovers across the world. With exciting events taking place everywhere from New Zealand to Thailand to Mexico and, of course, our home in the UK, I can’t think of a better way to mark WSET’s 50^th anniversary and the progress we have made in wine education over the last half-century.”

Terry Xu added: "As the old saying goes 'Within books, one can find houses of gold. Within books, one can find ladies as fair as jade'. And I believe that a glass of wine offers not less than that. For thousands of years, wine has nourished the world’s culture, and has been loved by countless writers and artists. Life is short, read more, drink more and learn more."

Full details about Wine Education Week and the events taking place worldwide can be found at https://www.wineeducationweek.com.For more information about WSET, please visit http://www.WSETglobal.com.

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Notes to Editors

About the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET)

Set up in 1969 and celebrating its 50^th anniversary in 2019, WSET is the largest global provider of qualifications in the field of wines, spirits and sake.

WSET offers qualifications across four levels, from one-day beginner courses through to an expert level diploma. Courses are available in more than 15 languages and over 70 countries and are open both to industry professionals and interested enthusiasts. Qualification levels 1 to 3 (with the exception of the Level 3 Award in Spirits) are recognised by the UK Government (Ofqual) and all WSET qualifications have a strong reputation worldwide as the industry standard for knowledge.

In the last academic year (2017/18) 94,822 candidates sat for a WSET qualification, and since 1969, WSET has awarded more than half a million individuals a WSET qualification.