About Us

The official UK arm of ASI, the UK Sommelier Academy is an independent and non-profit organisation that offers opportunities for networking, events, participating in competitions and examinations affiliated to our global partner ASI for UK based wine professionals.

We are proud to support, mentor and connect UK wine professionals wishing to be members of this vibrant Academy.

 

Our Team:

  • Nicolas Clerc MS

    CO-FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT

  • Nina Basset

    CO-FOUNDER AND VICE PRESIDENT

  • Eric Zwiebel MS

    TALENT AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR

  • Olivier Marie

    TREASURER

  • ROMAIN BOURGER

    HEAD OF THE TECHNICAL COMMITEE

  • ROMANÉ BASSET

    GENERAL SECRETARY

  • TORI AMES

    EVENT, COMMUNICATION, MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP CONSULTANT (not a board member)

  • POLLY GIBSON

    DEVELOPMENT MANAGER - SOUTH

  • SIMON COX

    OLYMPIC COACH

The UKSA is a not-for-profit organisation.

We offer low membership fees and ASI certification events and exams free for members, courtesy in part to the ongoing and much-appreciated support of the IWSC and Christelle Guibert and her team, who are our main sponsor.

We remain very grateful to the IWSC for their continuing support.

 

We recognise that not all Sommeliers are London based. We represent the whole of the UK and all Somms wherever they are working within the UK.

 

We are proud to offer wide networking opportunities, a mentoring scheme, career advice, competition and examination support and training, as well as the all important affiliation to ASI, the global association or the worldwide family of sommeliers.

A note from our board

 

“The UKSA is a brilliant way to network, to mix with like-minded professionals, and to give each other the support that a professional organisation can offer. The founders of this new and exciting Academy are present and previous Somms, and all have a rich experience and history of Sommellerie, that they bring together to share, mentor and inspire the new generation of Somms and wine professionals…

This UK Sommelier Academy has been created very much for our members and we hope that the one and only, “God Father” of all sommeliers, Gerard Basset, OBE, would be proud of what we have created and you as members will love what we do.”

— NINA BASSET, CO-FOUNDER AND VICE PRESIDENT

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