Decanter 40th lunch
Eduardo Chadwick, Steven Spurrier (centre) and Adam Brett-Smith of Corney & Barrow catch up at Decanter's 40th anniversary lunch in September 2015.
(Image credit: Eduardo Chadwick, Steven Spurrier (centre) and Adam Brett-Smith of Corney & Barrow catch up at Decanter's 40th anniversary lunch in September 2015)

Steven Spurrier, world renowned wine expert and Decanter consultant editor, has been made an honorary president of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Steven Spurrier replaces Gérard Basset MW MS OBE as the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s (WSET) honorary chairman and will officially take up his position after the WSET awards and graduation ceremony at Guildhall in London tonight (23 January).

‘As WSET’s global reach continues to expand, it is a great honour to have someone who has a worldwide reputation – and with education at his heart – as our honorary president,’ said WSET chairman Ian Harris.

Spurrier is the WSET’s fifth honorary chairman, following Basset, Jancis Robinson MW OBE, Hugh Johnson and Michael Broadbent.

Spurrier is known for his leading role in the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting, which announced California’s arrival in the world of fine wine. He also opened L’Academie du Vin in Paris in the 1980s, and co-created the Christie’s Wine Course.

He remains a Decanter consultant editor and has been chairman of the Decanter World Wine Awards since its inception in 2004. This year, he will take up a new role as chairman emeritus of the DWWA.

Spurrier said, ‘It is a great honour to succeed such a roster of the previous four honorary presidents, particularly since the creation of L’Academie du Vin in Paris and the Christie’s Wine Course in London could not have happened without the publication of Michael Broadbent’s seminal book Wine Tasting.’

Steven Spurrier

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Chris Mercer
Chris Mercer

Chris Mercer is a Bristol-based freelance editor and journalist who spent nearly four years as digital editor of Decanter.com, having previously been Decanter’s news editor across online and print.

He has written about, and reported on, the wine and food sectors for more than 10 years for both consumer and trade media.

Chris first became interested in the wine world while living in Languedoc-Roussillon after completing a journalism Masters in the UK. These days, his love of wine commonly tests his budgeting skills.

Beyond wine, Chris also has an MSc in food policy and has a particular interest in sustainability issues. He has also been a food judge at the UK’s Great Taste Awards.