West Cheshire College lecturer achieves top level wine qualification

Feb 3 2011 Chester Chronicle

CHESTER-BASED wine educator Julia Tickridge has been as awarded her Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Diploma in Wines and Spirits – the trust’s flagship qualification.

The lecturer and wine expert at West Cheshire College passed all the elements of this top-level qualification, many with distinction.

She was presented to writer and broadcaster Hugh Johnson, honorary president of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust, at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust graduation ceremony which took place in the Guild Hall in London.

The great and the good of the world of wine were in attendance – notably Jancis Robinson, Master of Wine, writer and broadcaster and representatives from the industry such as Majestic Wine Warehouses, Waitrose and Constellation Wines.

The WSET diploma is recognised as one of the top wine qualifications and students must distinguish themselves in their theoretical and practical knowledge concerned with grape growing and wine and spirits production.

Julia has come from a modern languages background – she is fluent in seven European languages – and her passion for food and wine led her to enrol on WSET programmes.

She has undertaken numerous study tours to Bordeaux, Champagne, Chianti and the Mosel valley and a three-week road trip with her son around the South Island of New Zealand visiting some 25 wineries.

In addition she judges at the International Wine Challenge and for the UK Vineyards Association, is a member of the UKVA Sustainability Working Group.

She has a particular interest in sustainably produced wine and Fairtrade.

Julia will be presenting a wine tasting event to mark Fairtrade Fortnight (February 28-March 12) at Chester Town Hall on Friday, March 11, where she will be giving a talk on Fairtrade wine as well as presenting a wine tasting.