Steven Spurrier (wine Merchant)
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Steven Spurrier (5 October 1941 – 9 March 2021) was a British wine expert and merchant who was described as a champion of
French wine French wine is produced throughout all of France in quantities between 50 and 60 million hectolitres per year, or 7–8 billion bottles. France is one of the largest wine producers in the world. French wine traces its history to th ...
. Spurrier organised the
Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris, was a wine competition, to commemorate the United States Bicentennial, organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier (wine), Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant, and ...
, which unexpectedly elevated the status of
California wine California wine production has a rich viticulture history since 1680 when Spanish Jesuit missionaries planted ''Vitis vinifera'' vines native to the Mediterranean region in their established missions to produce wine for religious services. ...
and promoted the expansion of wine production in the New World. He was the founder of the '' Academie du Vin'' and
Christie's Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...
Wine Course, in addition to authoring and co-authoring several wine books.


Early life

Spurrier was born in
Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...
on 5 October 1941 to John and Pamela Spurrier. His father joined his family's sand-and-gravel business in Derbyshire after the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Spurrier was educated at
Rugby School Rugby School is a Public school (United Kingdom), private boarding school for pupils aged 13–18, located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire in England. Founded in 1567 as a free grammar school for local boys, it is one of the oldest independ ...
, before studying at the
London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
. His interest in wine was first piqued after drinking 1908
Cockburn's Port Cockburn's Port ( ) is a port wine producer in Portugal. Cockburn's was set up by Scotsman Robert Cockburn in 1815, who returned to Portugal after first visiting the country as a soldier fighting under Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, We ...
when he was 13 years old.


Career

Spurrier entered the wine trade in 1964 as a trainee with
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
's oldest wine merchant Christopher and Co. In 1970 he moved to Paris where he persuaded an elderly lady to sell him her small wine store, in the Cité Berryer, a passageway off the
rue Royale Rue Royale (French for "Royal Street") may refer to several streets: * Rue Royale, Brussels, Belgium * Rue Royale, Lyon, France *Rue Royale, Paris The Rue Royale () is a short street in Paris, France, running between the Place de la Concorde a ...
, From 1971 he ran the wine shop, ''Les Caves de la Madeleine'' where clients were encouraged to taste wines before they bought them, which achieved recognition as a highly regarded specialist wine shop. With partners Jon Winroth and Patricia Gallgher in 1973 he started '' L’Academie du Vin'', France's first private wine school, which was central to the wine education of several wine personalities such as French wine writer
Michel Bettane Michel Bettane is a leading French wine critic, and for twenty years, a writer for the French consumer wine publication '' La Revue du vin de France''. He left ''La Revue'' in 2004 to work for the rivaling wine publication ''Le Classement des Meil ...
, and Charles F. Shaw, namesake of "Two Buck Chuck". Spurrier went on to stage the influential "Judgment of Paris" Tasting of 1976, when a
Chardonnay Chardonnay (, ; ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new a ...
and
Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebano ...
from
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
were ranked above some of the most prestigious wines of
Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...
and
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
. Spurrier sold his wine interests in France and returned to the UK in 1988, becoming a wine consultant and
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
. He was director of The Christie’s Wine Course, which he founded with
Christie's Education Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shanghai, and Dubai. It is owne ...
in 1982. He was also a wine consultant to
Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA or SQ) is the flag carrier of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Changi Airport. Considered to be one of the world's best carriers, the airline is ranked as a 5-star airline as well as ranked ...
, and consultant editor to ''
Decanter A decanter is a vessel that is used to hold the decantation of a liquid (such as wine) which may contain sediment. Decanters, which have a varied shape and design, have been traditionally made from glass or crystal. Their volume is usually equiv ...
''. In 2018, he starred in the documentary SOMM 3 alongside
Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...
where he discussed the Judgement of Paris while tasting some of the world's finest wines. In 2019, he founded the Academie du Vin Library with Simon McMurtrie to publish wine writing. The Library published the latest edition of his memoir in 2020.


Awards

Spurrier received several international awards for wine writing including Le Prix de Champagne Lanson and the Bunch Prize, both for articles published in ''Decanter''. In 2001 he was awarded Le Grand Prix de l’Academie Internationale du Vin and The Maestro Award in honor of Andre Tchelistcheff. In 1988 he was made ''Le Personalite de l’Annee'' (Oenology) for his services to French wine. He has also received the Ritz Carlton Millennia Singapore Lifetime Achievement Award and the ''Prix Louis Marinier''. He was a regular judge on the international
wine tasting Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...
circuit and the chairman of the Japan Wine Challenge and the ''Decanter'' World Wine Awards.


Portrayal

Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...
portrayed Steven Spurrier in the 2008 film ''
Bottle Shock ''Bottle Shock'' is a 2008 American comedy-drama film based on the 1976 wine competition termed the "Judgment of Paris", when California wine defeated French wine in a blind taste test. It stars Alan Rickman, Chris Pine, and Bill Pullman and is ...
''. During its production, Spurrier warned of taking legal action in the event of misrepresentation. Having read the script, Spurrier stated, "There is hardly a word that is true in the script and many, many pure inventions as far as I am concerned". A documentary by Jason Wise about the 1976 tasting is planned for release in summer 2022.


Personal life

Spurrier was married to the former Bella Lawson from 1968 until his death. Together, they had two children: Christian and Kate. Spurrier died from cancer on 9 March 2021, at his home in the Bride Valley English Wine Estate, in
Litton Cheney Litton Cheney is a village and civil parish in the county of Dorset in south-west England. It lies west of the county town Dorchester. It is sited beneath chalk hills in the valley of the small River Bride. In the 2011 census the parish had a ...
, Dorset. He was 79.


Bibliography

*''The Academie du Vin Concise Guide to French Country Wines'' (1984) *''How to Buy Fine Wines'' (1986) *''Academie du Vin Wine Course'' (1991) with Michel Dovaz *''Clarke & Spurrier's Fine Wine Guide'' (1998) with
Oz Clarke Robert Owen Clarke (born 1949), known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster. Early life Clarke's parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He is of Irish descent and was brought up Roma ...
*''Wine—A Way of Life'' (2018) *''Steven Spurrier: A Life in Wine'' (2020)


See also

*
List of wine personalities Sections are arranged from cultivation through processing, starting from vineyards to consumption advised by sommeliers. Vineyard owners Included are owners of well-known or sizable vineyards. Excluded are managers (CEOs) of public holding comp ...


Notes


References

*


External links


Steven Spurrier's blog
at the Wine Society of India {{DEFAULTSORT:Spurrier, Steven 1941 births 2021 deaths 20th-century English businesspeople 20th-century English male writers 20th-century English non-fiction writers 21st-century English businesspeople 21st-century English male writers 21st-century English memoirists Writers from Cambridge Alumni of the London School of Economics British male bloggers Deaths from cancer in England People educated at Rugby School Writers from Dorset British wine critics Wine merchants