The Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI) has announced that sommelier Serge Dubs is the recipient of the first Gérard Basset Lifetime Achievement Award, created to recognize excellence in wine services in memory of the legendary sommelier.
Nina Basset, wife of Gérard Basset, says of Dubs “he is one of the most highly respected sommeliers within the ASI, worldwide community. He was a friend and mentor to Gérard, a fellow competitor and ASI colleague. A man who Gérard admired greatly. He gives guidance and advice freely. He is open, warm and loyal and above all, an all-time great ambassador for sommellerie and exponent of all that great service should offer.
“He is a champion amongst champions and it is with enormous pleasure and great delight that Serge Dubs be crowned the 2021 ASI Gérard Basset Lifetime Achievement Award winner. Bravo Serge! Gérard would be so proud to know you are this year’s most worthy winner.”
Basset OBE, MW, MS, revered as an icon among peers, passed away in 2019.
Dubs counts among his many titles and distinctions, winner of the ASI Best Sommelier of the World (1989), Best Sommelier of Europe (1988), Best Sommelier of France (1983) and the Master of Port (1988). He has been a fixture at the famed Michelin-starred Auberge de L’Ill in Illhaeusern, Alsace, France for decades.
Nominations for the distinction were received from around the globe and reviewed by the selection committee which included William Wouters (President, ASI), Michéle Chantôme (Ambassador, Vice President Africa & Middle East, ASI), Marcos Flores (Vice President Americas, ASI), Piotr Kamecki (Vice President Europe, ASI), Saiko Tamura-Soga (Vice President Asia & Oceania, ASI), Marc Almert (ASI Best of Sommelier of the World 2019) and Nina Basset (wife of Gérard Basset).
The five finalists included Paul Brunet (France), Serge Dubs (France), Louis Havaux (Belgium), David Lawler (Australia) and Véronique Rivest (Canada).
Of the final selection ASI Ambassador Michèle Chantôme says, “ASI found its hero! Serge Dubs was bestowed this very first Lifetime Achievement Award created in Gérard Basset’s memory.
“We are tremendously honored to have such a wonderful and renowned representative of the sommellerie. Beyond his many talents, titles and professional distinctions, including at the regional (Alsace), national (he was president of UDSF for six years) and international levels (he is a permanent member of the ASI Sommeliers Contests Commission), Serge exudes a generosity and dedication that truly embodies the spirit of this award. Each of the finalists showed such a tremendous wealth of merits that the selection was very difficult indeed. We will very likely see their names emerge again for the next annual ASI Gérard Basset Lifetime Achievement Award.”
A presentation of the award will be made at the Association de la Sommellerie Annual General Assembly scheduled to be held in Germany from July 3 to 7.
