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2024 Golden Vines scholars announced

These scholarships recognise the outstanding applicants chosen by the judging panel, which included Angela Scott (head judge), 2021 Taylor’s Port Golden Vines Diversity Scholarship winner Nina Basset FIH, Rajat Parr (Sandhi Wines), Clement Robert MS (Liquid Icons), Ronan Sayburn MS (The Court of Master Sommeliers Europe), Neil Tully MW (The Institute of Master of Wine) and Jancis Robinson OBE MW.

Winners receive full enrolment in one of the Wine Scholar Guild’s flagship programmes (French Wine Scholar, Spanish Wine Scholar, Italian Wine Scholar) and a one-year WSG membership, allowing them access to networking opportunities, live events and additional study resources. This marks the fourth consecutive year the scholarships have been awarded since The Gérard Basset Foundation’s inception in 2021.

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Four of this year’s scholars have chosen to enrol in the French Wine Scholar course, two in the Spanish Wine Scholar course and two in the Italian Wine Scholar course. The remaining two winners opted to defer their scholarships to 2025 to be among the first to take the new German Wine Scholar course, debuting in mid-2025.

Preston Mohr, managing director of WSG, highlighted the foundation’s impactful work: “The Gérard Basset Foundation continues to lead the way in charitable giving within the wine, spirits and hospitality spaces. The organisation exemplifies how education can transform lives and open doors. We are proud to have supported the educational journeys of forty scholars since 2021 and look forward to their continued growth.”

Romané Basset, co-founder and trustee of The Gérard Basset Foundation, expressed gratitude for the Wine Scholar Guild’s support: “The Wine Scholar Guild has been a cornerstone of our mission since the beginning. Thanks to their generosity, we welcome forty talented and passionate scholars each year from diverse backgrounds into our community, helping them gain new wine knowledge and advance in their careers. We are excited to see this year's scholars achieve great things.”

The awards are granted to:

Deniz Bayram, UK

Denman Chan, Taiwan

Eduardo Contreras, Mexico

Harnil Mathur, Hong Kong

Jounghwa Yi, Korea

Junqi Peng, USA

Karene Vilela, Brazil

Sammy Lam, USA

Valeria Tenison, France

Xeniya Volosnikova, France

• wine scholar guild
• romané basset
• Jancis Robinson OBE MW
• The Gérard Basset Foundation
• Preston Mohr