Decanter awards bursaries to WSET students in Asia

Decanter has announced the award of its first bursaries to help Asia-based students fund themselves through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust's Diploma level wine course.

Winners of the bursaries include China-based Mai Zong Geng, of Watson's Wine Cellar, and Maurizio Broggi, who works as a sommelier and ambassador at Chinese importer LDF Wines.

The third bursary winner is Dan Fukushima, based in Tokyo, Japan, and who works in sales for importer Vin Passion & Cie.

Their names were revealed at Monday's Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) annual awards and graduation ceremony in London's Guildhall. All were top of their class in the WSET Level Three exams in their respective countries.

'Winning the Decanter scholarship has been an honour,' said 39-year-old Broggio, who has just started his Diploma at the Asia Wine Service & Education Centre in Hong Kong.

“Winning this bursary means a reward for my hard study in the past.” Says Mai Zong Geng, who is sales manager of South China in Watson's wine cellar and is turning 29 years old in March.

It was decided that Asia-based students should be the recipients of the bursaries, reflecting a rising thirst for wine and wine knowledge in that region. Funds for the scheme have come from November's Christie's auction of wines that were part of the Decanter Asia Wine Awards (DAWA).

'Decanter is extremely proud to be supporting these three students in their quest to attain the WSET's Diploma certificate,' said Decanter publisher Lindsay Greatbatch, who attended the WSET ceremony.

'We believe education is the lifeblood of a healthy and prosperous wine sector, and the WSET plays a vital role in both established and emerging markets around the wine world.'

In addition to the bursaries, two UK-based students who scored highly in their WSET Level Three were awarded a year's subscription to Decanter magazine. They are Neil Robson, of Daisy Telecom in Manchester, and Sarah Ellis, of Daylesford Farmshop in Gloucestershire.