Wine Education Week to hold Guinness World Record attempt for largest ever sommelierie lesson

By Jenny Eagle

- Last updated on GMT

WSET to organise first Wine AEducation Week. Photo: WSET.
WSET to organise first Wine AEducation Week. Photo: WSET.
The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), global provider of wine and spirits qualifications, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, organising the first ever global Wine Education Week from September 9-15.

The event will celebrate the diversity, taste and culture of the world of wine with a programme of interactive events, focused on learning about and enjoying wines from across the globe. 

Wine education

Olly Smith
Olly Smith

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 our home in the UK​,” said Ian Harris, CEO, WSET. 

I can’t think of a better way to mark WSET’s 50th​ anniversary and the progress we have made in wine education over the last half-century​.” 

Wine Education Week will kick off on Monday September 9, with food and wine pairing events across the world at 6pm local time in 24 countries. Starting with Auckland, New Zealand and ending with California, US.

In the UK, Wine Education Week will hold an attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for the largest ever recorded sommelierie lesson at The Kia Oval, London on September 9. 

The current record stands at 309 participants organised by Valentin Foulon (France), Gilles Herremans and Fabrizio Bucella (both Belgium) in Brussels, Belgium, on 11 December 11, 2018. WSET is aiming for 350 people to beat the record.

Guests can enjoy a drinks reception from 6pm-7pm then wine expert, TV personality, author and columnist Olly Smith and sommelier Virgilio Gennaro (Wine Director at Giorgio Locatelli Consultancy) will teach attendees the art of pairing food and wine. 

‘World Wine Monopoly’

After the initial launch, the week will continue with more than 450 fun, educational events in 46 countries to encourage consumers to learn more about wine and to drink ‘better’. 

With sessions ranging from ‘Deciphering Wine Labels’ to ‘Matches Made In Heaven’ - and ‘World Wine Monopoly’, the events will help attendees make wiser choices when choosing a bottle and to discover lesser-known wines they might not have tasted before.   

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