The Gérard Basset Foundation and Champagne Laurent-Perrier announced 12 scholarship recipients for the 2026 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship on June 30, 2026. All 12 are working members of the UK wine trade. This is the second year of the partnership, which launched in 2025 with a shared objective: mentor the next generation of wine professionals and support inclusion and accessibility within the UK wine trade.
The 12 recipients were selected from 53 applications. "We received 53 applications this year, and we had to narrow it down to 12 well-deserving members of the UK wine trade, individuals coming from all walks of life," said Romané Basset1, co-founding trustee and head of operations at the Gérard Basset Foundation. The scholarship offers the Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Masters course, a day-long negotiation and sales masterclass in London, and a tutored tasting of Champagne Laurent-Perrier.
The 2026 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship Winners
The 12 recipients represent a cross-section of UK wine trade roles. Charlotte Alexander-Marsh is Area Sales Manager London at Majestic. Chris Frayling-Cork serves as Head Sommelier at The Chancery Rosewood. Joanna Nerantzi holds the Head Sommelier position at Raffles London at The OWO. Zaloren Gonzalez Fontes works as Sommelier at Los Mochis and holds a Masters in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt. Amelia Burgess is affiliated with the University of Edinburgh Business School, Santander Academy, and ELLE.
The remaining seven recipients are Shehnaz Hansraj, Head of Research & Consumer Insights UK at Viking; Daisy Henderson, Wine Sales Specialist at Laithwaites and Sommelier at Harper Weddings; Serhat Narsap, Founder & Managing Director of Sonvino; Anna Pavlovna Suzan, Senior Sommelier at Langan's Brasserie; Joseph Rosenfeld, Senior Sommelier at Dinings SW3; Kostas Vaitsidis, Sommelier at Brown's Hotel; and Lauren Wedge, Sommelier at The Wilderness.
The judging panel consisted of Nina Basset FIH, co-founding trustee and team leader of the Gérard Basset Foundation; Romané Basset; Christian Holthausen, head of communications for the Gérard Basset Foundation; and Preston Mohr, managing director of the Wine Scholar Guild.
What the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship Includes
The scholarship centers on the Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Masters course, the most comprehensive certification available on the wines of Champagne. The course covers the region's geography, viticulture, winemaking methods, house histories, and the AOC regulations that govern production. It is structured for working professionals: self-paced study modules, online exams, and a final certification that carries weight in trade hiring and promotion decisions.
Beyond the coursework, scholarship winners attend a day-long workshop in London focused on negotiation and sales.
The session is designed for sommeliers, sales managers, and wine buyers who need to translate Champagne knowledge into commercial outcomes: how to position a prestige cuvée on a list, how to negotiate allocation terms with a house, how to explain dosage and disgorgement dates to a customer without losing the sale.
The workshop concludes with a tutored tasting of Champagne Laurent-Perrier, led by house representatives who walk the scholars through the portfolio's three pillars: the art of assemblage exemplified by Grand Siècle, the mastery of maceration behind Cuvée Rosé, and the non-dosé approach of Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature.
The Laurent-Perrier portfolio is built around these three expressions of the house's savoir-faire. Grand Siècle is a prestige cuvée crafted from three exceptional vintages to recreate the perfect year. Cuvée Rosé, launched in 1968, was the product of an innovative maceration technique. Ultra Brut, introduced in 1981, pioneered the non-dosé style, a zero-dosage approach that continues today with Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature. The tutored tasting gives scholars direct access to the winemaking philosophy behind each bottling, a level of house insight that most trade professionals acquire only after years of supplier relationships.
The Gérard Basset Foundation's Mission and Legacy
The Gérard Basset Foundation was co-founded in 2021 by Nina Basset and Romané Basset, the wife and son of Gérard Basset. Gérard Basset was World's Best Sommelier 2010. He held the Master Sommelier and Master of Wine credentials simultaneously, a rare double qualification. He also earned an MBA, an MSc, and the OIV diploma. He died on January 16, 2019.
During his lifetime, Gérard Basset mentored a generation of young sommeliers who sought out his expertise to launch their own careers. Many of those protégés are now connected with the Foundation and remain instrumental in keeping his legacy alive. The Foundation's mission is to use the wine, spirits, and hospitality industries as a vehicle for change by funding education, training, and mentorship programs that open these sectors to individuals with the drive and ability to succeed, regardless of their backgrounds or circumstances.
The Foundation's trustees include Nina Basset, Romané Basset, Ian Harris MBE, and Jancis Robinson OBE MW. The Foundation operates as the world's leading charitable foundation for wine, spirits, and hospitality education. Its programs are designed to remove financial and access barriers that prevent individuals from pursuing professional wine education. The Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship is one of several initiatives the Foundation runs each year, alongside bursaries for WSET courses, sommelier competition support, and mentorship placements with leading wine professionals.
The partnership with Champagne Laurent-Perrier aligns with the Foundation's core objective: develop future young talent and support inclusion within the UK wine trade. The scholarship is open to working trade members, not students or hobbyists. This structure ensures the scholarship reaches professionals who will use the credential immediately, whether to move from sommelier to head sommelier, from sales representative to regional manager, or from wine buyer to category lead.
Why This Partnership Matters for UK Wine Professionals
For working trade members, the Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Masters course represents a significant financial and time investment. The Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship removes the financial barrier and adds structured support: the negotiation workshop, the tutored tasting, and the credential of being a Foundation-selected scholar. That last point carries weight in the UK wine trade, where the Gérard Basset name signals serious professional ambition.
Champagne education is a strategic investment for UK wine professionals. The region's wines dominate prestige occasions, high-margin restaurant lists, and collector portfolios. A sommelier who can explain the difference between a vintage Blanc de Blancs and a multi-vintage assemblage, who can recommend a grower Champagne alongside a grande marque, who can walk a customer through dosage levels and disgorgement dates, has a commercial advantage. The Champagne Masters certification signals that level of expertise to employers, suppliers, and customers.
The scholarship also addresses a gap in accessible Champagne education for working trade members. Many UK wine professionals hold WSET Level 3 or Diploma credentials, but few pursue region-specific certifications like the Champagne Masters. The cost, the time commitment, and the lack of employer support all contribute to that gap. The Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship removes those obstacles for 12 professionals each year, creating a cohort of UK trade members who hold the most comprehensive Champagne credential available.
For Champagne Laurent-Perrier, the partnership is a long-term investment in UK trade relationships. The 12 scholars will spend months studying the region's history, viticulture, and winemaking methods. They will attend a tutored tasting of the Laurent-Perrier portfolio.
They will leave the program with a detailed understanding of the house's three pillars: assemblage, maceration, and non-dosé. When those scholars move into head sommelier roles, buying positions, or regional management, they carry that knowledge with them.
The scholarship is not a transactional marketing spend; it is a multi-year bet on the people who will shape UK wine programs in the decade ahead.
The Foundation's selection process reflects that long-term view. The judging panel evaluates applicants on their current trade contributions, their commitment to Champagne study, and their potential to influence the UK wine trade in the years ahead. The 12 recipients for 2026 include sommeliers at Rosewood, Raffles, and Brown's Hotel; sales managers at Majestic and Laithwaites; and the founder of an independent wine business. They represent the range of roles where Champagne expertise translates into commercial outcomes: restaurant wine programs, retail buying, hospitality group strategy, and direct-to-consumer sales.
The partnership between the Gérard Basset Foundation and Champagne Laurent-Perrier is now in its second year. The scholarship launched successfully in 2025 with its first cohort. The 2026 cohort will begin their coursework in the coming months. The Foundation and Laurent-Perrier have not announced whether the scholarship will continue beyond 2026, but the structure is designed for multi-year continuity: a repeatable selection process, a proven curriculum, and a clear alignment between the Foundation's mission and the house's long-term UK trade strategy.
Champagne Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812. The house has been defined by its pioneering role in innovating Champagne throughout its history. Its innovation is rooted in unique savoir-faire, passed down through generations. The house is internationally recognized as one of the foremost names in Champagne. Its success can be attributed to a deliberate policy of challenging conventional techniques while honoring traditional values, a commitment to quality, and respect for nature and the terroir.
The house is independent and family-led. The late Bernard de Nonancourt assumed control in 1948 and preserved the independence of the house and its values. The current management team is led by his daughters Alexandra Pereyre de Nonancourt and Stéphanie Meneux de Nonancourt and his granddaughter Lucie Pereyre de Nonancourt. In 2024, Laurent-Perrier became the first Champagne house to receive the Royal Warrant from His Majesty King Charles III, signifying the brand's esteemed status as a purveyor of Champagne to the Royal Household.
The 2026 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship winners will complete their coursework over the next several months. The Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Masters certification requires passing a comprehensive exam that covers the region's geography, viticulture, winemaking, and house histories.
The scholars will study independently, using the Wine Scholar Guild's online modules and reference materials. They will attend the day-long workshop in London, where they will receive negotiation and sales training and participate in the tutored tasting of Champagne Laurent-Perrier.
Upon completion, they will hold the most comprehensive Champagne certification available, a credential that will shape their careers and the UK wine trade programs they influence in the years ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship include?
The Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship includes the Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Masters course, a day-long negotiation and sales masterclass in London, and a tutored tasting of Champagne Laurent-Perrier. The course covers Champagne's geography, viticulture, winemaking methods, house histories, and AOC regulations, structured for working professionals with self-paced study modules and online exams.
How many people received the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship in 2026?
Twelve recipients were selected for the 2026 Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship from 53 applications. All recipients are working members of the UK wine trade, representing roles from sommeliers to sales managers across London's hospitality and retail sectors.
Who is eligible to apply for the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship?
The scholarship is open to working members of the UK wine trade. The 2026 recipients included sommeliers, sales managers, wine buyers, and other wine professionals from diverse backgrounds, reflecting the program's commitment to inclusion and accessibility within the industry.
What is the Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Masters course?
The Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Masters is the most comprehensive certification available on the wines of Champagne. It features self-paced study modules, online exams, and covers the region's geography, viticulture, winemaking methods, house histories, and AOC regulations, with certification that carries weight in trade hiring and promotion decisions.
When was the Laurent-Perrier Champagne Scholarship partnership launched?
The partnership between the Gérard Basset Foundation and Champagne Laurent-Perrier launched in 2025. The 2026 scholarship announcement on June 30, 2026, marked the second year of the collaboration aimed at mentoring the next generation of wine professionals.
