Critic at the summit of Wine, how the WSET helped!

News this week that venerable wine critic Robert Parker, the advocate of the 100 point system, was stepping aside from his Bordeaux En Primeur role.  His chosen successor in one of the trades most influential positions, Brit Neal Martin, former blogger and current writer with The Wine Advocate.

Neal Martin fell into the wine business after University.  A period teaching in Japan brought him back to the UK and a job at a Japanese export company.  His role was expanded unexpectedly to include wine buying, mainly the grandest of Bordeaux names which he knew nothing about.

As he put it “I enrolled myself for WSET certificate at Battersea college and those first dozen tutorials lit the touch paper that ignited my passion for wine”.  From these classes his wine career germinated.

WSET Diploma studies followed, travel to wine regions, a wine blog and then a job with one of the world’s most influential wine critics,  Robert Parker.

His new Bordeaux En Primeur responsibilities, alongside WSET graduate and MW Jancis Robinson, underlines the value our courses.

#WSET, a great place to learn more about wine.