Words by WSET
Profession: Director of Strategic Planning and Sake Samurai
At: London
Antony is the Director of Strategic Planning for the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET), where he has worked since 2004. His current role covers long-term business planning and advising on new product development. He oversaw the development of WSETs new Level 3 Award in Sake, and in 2014 was inaugurated as a Sake Samurai by the Sake and Shochu Makers Association in recognition of this work. Previously, he was responsible for WSET's textbooks and all other education materials, and was the author of "Wines and Spirits: Looking Behind the Label" (2005, updated regularly since then and now available in 17 languages).
Antony joined the wine industry in 1998, as a part-time sales advisor for S.H. Jones in Leamington Spa, while he was a research student. He completed his WSET Diploma in 2003 while working for Sainsbury's Supermarkets, and became a Master of Wine in 2011. By coincidence, he won the Austrian Wine Marketing Board Prize for both qualifications. Fortunately he loves Grüner Veltliner and has a special soft spot for Schilcher Rosé.
Outside of work, Antony enjoys listening to and trying to play classical music, especially early 20th Century composers such as Schoenberg, Ives, Sibelius and Janacek. His next target is to learn to play Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit (on a piano, not just on an iPod).
Discover more about sake with Antony and Simon Difford.
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