Gerald Asher

The Climb

Training at Westcliff High School for Boys gave Gerald Asher the base for a career that would later move between retail, ownership, editorial work, and trade leadership. In 1950, he entered the wine business as a part-time assistant at a wine retailer in Shepherd Market in London, England. That first post placed him on the shop floor, where the trade is learned through stock, customer demand, and the practical language of bottles moving through a merchant’s hands. By 1955, he had moved into ownership, founding and owning Asher, Storey and Co in London, England from 1955–1970. The span of that business points to commercial discipline as well as judgment: the ability to build and hold a position in a trade that depends on timing, taste, and trust. In 1971, he took a senior position at Austin, Nichols and Co in New York City, New York, USA, extending that work into a wider international market. Editorial authority came into focus when he became wine editor at Gourmet magazine from 1972–2002. Three decades in that role meant sustained work on language, selection, and the translation of wine for readers who expected precision. At the same time, he continued to work within the trade itself: head at Monterey Wine Company in San Francisco, California, USA from 1974–1976, vice-president at 21 Brands (McKesson Corporation) from 1976–1978, and founder and head at Mosswood Wine Company from 1978–1987. The through-line is clear: Asher moved between selling, editing, and company-building without leaving the subject behind. The phrase fits a career that settled into a single discipline only after passing through several parts of the wine trade.

Today

Gerald Asher is a Wine Writer. That simple title sits on top of work that began in Shepherd Market in London, England, expanded through Asher, Storey and Co in London, England, and carried through senior roles in New York City, New York, USA and San Francisco, California, USA. The range of those posts explains why his name remains tied to both the commerce and the language of wine.

In Their Words “Wine... Draws on everything and leads everywhere.”