Maybe you don't know what the Paris Blind Tasting Club is or what WSET is? Let me explain it to you simply and rudely!
Paris Blind Tasting Club
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If any historical event can be regarded as the "great earthquake" of the wine industry, it must be mentioned that the Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 must be mentioned. It was a blind tasting contest about French wine and American wine (California), which was not a big deal. The reason why it is described as a "great earthquake" is because at this blind tasting meeting, American wine actually beat the world-famous French wine, whether it is red wine or white wine! When the authority of the public was first challenged and questioned, the Paris Blind Tasting Society was also ironically called the "Judgment of Paris" Nevertheless, this event is still a milestone for the entire wine industry, and it has become a major turning point in the wine industry in California and the United States. And all this is thanks to the wine "Bole" - Steven Spurrier (hereinafter referred to as "Spree").
WSET
WSET, whose full name is wine & Spirit Education Trust, is the Wine & Spirits Education Foundation, and it is one of the most authoritative wine education institutions in the world. WSET has always been committed to the training of wine professionals, with a main focus on the training of wine theory knowledge and tasting ability. Today, WSET is global and has made an indelible contribution to the development of the world's wine and spirits industry, and has also sent a batch of professionals to the wine industry. And all this is inseparable from the contributions of the honorary presidents of WSET. Not long ago, Stephen Sprill officially became the new (5th) Honorary Chairman of WSET.
And one obvious common denominator between these two terms, believe in cleverness as you might have guessed, and that's him ☟
Steven Spreel
That's right! You may never have heard of Stephen Spreel, but if you know the parisian blind tasting club mentioned above, you must be as familiar with him as other people in the wine circle. In fact, the Paris Blind Tasting Club, which shocked the world and made California wine go to the world, was created by Spreel, and he was also known as the "Bole" of the wine industry. In particular, the image of Spree in the movie "Bottle Shock" is impressive, but if you try to understand him from the movie, you must be very wrong.
Steven Sprill in the movie "Wine Industry"
In fact, the real-life Sprill is a very authoritative wine figure in the wine industry. Don't you believe it? Let's take a look at how awesome the past Honorary Presidents of WSET are!
From left to right, the honorary presidents of WSET are Michael Broadbent, Hugh Johnson, Jesses Robinson, Gerhard Basser and Stephen Sprill
Michael Broadbent: The 1st Honorary President, he is one of the biggest names in the international wine industry, he also served as president of the Wine Masters Association, and has a master's position in wine tasting. Even if Robert Parker is praised by the media as a wine hero for his fame, Parker is only a junior in front of Michael Broadbent, the "Galeries Lafayette of wine critics". It can be said that this old man is definitely how bullish it is!
Hugh Johnson, the 2nd Honorary President, winner of the French Order of merit and the Order of the British Empire, is recognized as the world's premier authority on wine history and the best-selling wine guide author. For domestic wine lovers, the mention of Jancis Robinson suddenly feels like thunder, and it is not known that giants always grow up on the shoulders of the predecessor giants. Many people know that the author of the World Wine Map is Jess Robinson, but the first edition of the World Wine Map was written by Hugh Johnson and was not added until the fifth edition of Jess Robinson (if you pay a little attention, you will find that the first author of the book is Hugh Johnson).
Jess Robinson: The 3rd Honorary President, the title of "First Lady of the Wine Industry" refers to her, and she is currently the first female Honorary President of WSET, who is a rare typical representative of the "scarf does not let the eyebrows" in the international wine field. She is also one of the world's leading wine writers, not only co-authoring the new Edition of the World Wine Map with Hugh Johnson, but also authoring "The Oxford Companion to Wine" and "Wine Grapes" and other professional books that have been regarded as the Bible by many learners.
Gerard Basset: The 4th Honorary President, the Wine Circle Bullman, he is the only individual ever to receive 3 of the highest wine qualifications, including Master of Wine, Master Sommelier and MBA in Wine, even if it is rare to have both Master Wine and Master Sommelier certifications, including Gerhard Bassai, there are only 3 in the world.
Sigh, every one of them is absolutely awesome. After these cattlemen, how did Spreel take over such a heavy responsibility?
Ian Harris, CEO of WSET, said so
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"As WSET's global reach continues to expand, it is a great honor to have someone with a global reputation and a genuine focus on education as our Honorary Chairman."
Spreel himself said when he took over
"It was an honour for me to take over as the first 4 Honorary Chairmen, especially since I would not have been able to start a wine course at the Paris Wine Academy and Christie's in London without Michael Broadbent's wine tasting. I have been committed to wine education and communication for over 50 years, and WSET is an absolute leader in this area. ”
It can be said that the more WSET itself and the honorary presidents of the past, the more they can highlight the extraordinary sprill. As WSET's 5th Honorary Chairman, what has he accomplished? Let's start with his childhood!
BTW, how old were you first exposed to wine?
It is said that Spreel tasted wine at the age of 13, and I know you're in a hurry to say he's underage. It is true that they are underage, but in the United Kingdom, where wine culture is highly developed, even children, parents will occasionally pour a few drops of wine into their water or juice, so that they can get used to this taste and learn to appreciate and taste wine. And as we all know, the British love wine, and the reason why French wine can develop so rapidly is precisely because in the past, it was necessary to continuously provide fine wine to the British royal family!
Well, far from it! Then again, the British really liked wine, especially the British aristocracy. A typical Englishman, Spree grew up in derbyshire, an English town, attending Rugby School, one of Britain's oldest and most prestigious aristocratic institutions, and later at Cambridge, but tired of the tedious hat and dress, he transferred to The London School of Economics. During that time, Spreel began his first job, in 1963.
Prior to this, Splner had already had experience drinking wine. On Christmas Eve in 1954, Spreel's grandfather ordered the butler to pour a glass of port wine for little Spreel, be careful, it was the butler! chamberlain! chamberlain!!! It can be seen that his family is definitely not an ordinary family, and it should be known that the wine cultivation of the British aristocracy is leveraged, and Spreel is naturally no exception! Later, on a family trip, he drank wine again. By then, Spreel had earned a degree in economics, and his father insisted that he work for a securities company, but by then Spreel had already ignited a passion for wine.
With a passion for wine, Sprill officially entered the wine industry in 1964. He entered Christopher, London's oldest vintner company, as an intern; he married his wife Bella and moved to Paris, where he bought a wine shop and founded a wine academy (L'Academie du Vin), the first private wine school in France at the time. During this time, he accumulated a certain fame. But what really made him famous was the Blind Tasting Fair in Paris in 1976.
Wrong, Spreel made American wine!
The scene of the Paris Blind Tasting Club
In 1976, a sensational blind tasting party was held in Paris, France. The reason has been explained above, and I will not say more here! But if you think this is a "long-planned" and "expected" conspiracy, you will be disappointed. In fact, the reason for the global sensation is that this result was unexpected by everyone, including organizer Steven Spreel.
In a foreign interview with Spreel, he said: "I tasted some good California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but I didn't think they would win, because they were joined by the best wines from Bordeaux and Bourgogne. I invited a lot of media, but they didn't even think California wine was worth a try, so the only person who ended up here was Time magazine reporter George Taber. Without his report, the matter would not have caused a stir in the industry. ”
It can be seen that although Spreel's original intention was not to discover California wine, it was he who went to California like "Bole" to find "Maxima" to have the rise of the California wine industry, which also greatly encouraged the development of the entire New World. The so-called "Maxima often exists, but Bole does not often have", after this blind tasting meeting, Spreel also rose to fame and became one of the most respected wine figures in the world.
Today, he is the world's most influential and authoritative master of sommeliers, and a highly respected wine tasting consultant internationally, especially in the Far East (the Eastern Part of Asia, which is among the Western populations). He has been a consulting editor for the prestigious wine magazine Decanter, co-founded and chaired the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2004 until his honorary retirement in 2017, and the Decanter Asia Wine Awards, which he co-founded and still chairs today.
Of course, he is also a resident judge at many international wine competitions, including the Chairman of the Japan Wine Challenge Cup. In addition, he is the principal of the wine course at Christie's Auction House, a wine consultant at Singapore Airlines, and the vice president of the Circle of Wine Writers, all of which are testimonies and recognition of his professionalism and status.
He was a writer and an educator
Throughout his life, Spreel has been committed to promoting wine culture and has authored several wine books, including The Clarke-Spurrier Guide to Fine Wines, co-authored with veteran wine critic Oz Clarke. Of course, his greatest contribution is to cultivate many elite talents in the wine industry, which is probably an important reason why WSET has appointed him as the new Honorary President. In addition to the wine academy he founded in paris in his early years, in 1987 he became honorary president of a wine academy in Tokyo, a WSET-accredited teaching institution. In addition, he founded Christie's Wine Course with Michael Broadbent, the first Honorary Chairman of WSET. In 1990, Spreel returned to the UK to focus on wine writing and consultancy.
He received many honors in his lifetime
In his writing and personal achievements, Spreel received many honors. These include le personalite de l'Annee in 1988 for his contribution to the French wine industry, Le Grand Prix de L'Academia Internationale du Vin in 2001 (the third award since 1982, the previous winner being Michael Broadbent, the first honorary president of WSET) and 2011 Maestro Award in honor of California wine legend Andre Tchelistcheff. He has also received the Ritz Carlton Millennia Singapore Lifetime Achievement Award.
In addition to the above status, he also has his own winery in the UK
He is the owner of a winery in Dorset, England. In 2009, the first vine took root at his own winery, called Bride Valley Vineyards, which produces sparkling wines.
Asked about the most important achievement of his life, Sprill said it was the wine academy founded in Paris, France. Such an extraordinary person, the most proud of that year's small achievements? It is not surprising that such a lifelong commitment to education has been appointed Honorary Chairman of WSET.
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