"Tasting Victory: The Life and Wines of the World's Favourite Sommelier" by Gerard Basset OBE

Tasting Victory: The Life and Wines of the World's Favourite Sommelier is the captivating memoir of Gerard Basset, OBE, regarded as the greatest wine professional of his generation. Born in France and a school dropout, Gerard discovered his passion for wine in England. He immersed himself in the world of Michelin star restaurants, beginning a meteoric rise in his career.

This book charts his business successes, including the co-founding and sale of the innovative Hotel du Vin chain and the creation, with his wife Nina, of the much-loved Hotel TerraVina. Gerard achieved an unprecedented sequence of qualifications, becoming the first and only individual to hold the titles of Master of Wine, Master Sommelier, and an MBA in Wine Business simultaneously.

The core of this book is Gerard's quest for the most prestigious award: the title of Best Sommelier of the World. On his seventh attempt, after a rigorous training regime that would shame most Olympic athletes, the fifty-three-year-old Gerard finally earned this title.

Gerard's memoir is not only the story of how a champion is made but also a record of how fine dining and hospitality changed in England, transforming from a stale and uninspiring sector to a world-leading one. Above all, it is a book about succeeding against great odds. Diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, Gerard decided to write Tasting Victory, which he completed shortly before his death in January 2019.

Format: Hardback
Pages: 256
Language: English
Publisher: Unbound
Imprint: Unbound Digital
ISBN: 9781783528608
Published: 19 Mar 2020
Classifications: Autobiography: general, Memoirs, Wines
Weight: 482g
Dimensions: 240 x 160 x 22 (mm)