'Golden Vines Awards' Comes to Miami
Dubbed the 'Oscars' of fine wine, the fifth annual event celebrates industry leaders and supports the charitable foundation in Gérard Basset’s name
Our club never got to meet the late Gérard Basset OBE MW MS, crowned World’s Best Sommelier in 2010 and recipient of Decanter’s Hall of Fame award in 2013. But titles and awards aside, it’s our recent conversations with Jancis Robinson MW and his son, Romané Basset, that made us truly understand his significant contributions to the wine industry and the deep impact he had on those close to him. Gérard was diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and died in January 2019, aged 61.
Next week, Miami will host the 5th annual Golden Vines from Friday, November 7th to Sunday, November 9th to benefit The Gérard Basset Foundation, which preserves his legacy by raising funds to support education, training and mentorship programs for deserving recipients from diverse backgrounds in the wine, spirit and hospitality industries.
“When my father was ill, we had talks about legacy,” Romané told us. “He loved mentorship, and the goal was to help people who don’t have the easiest roots to access by providing funding for wine education.” Romané started the foundation with his mother, Nina, in 2021. Since then, they have raised $5 million and directly impacted nearly 1,600 beneficiaries in more than 30 countries globally.
The most recent recipients are Sera Karamshuk and Leila Killoran, who were selected as part of the 2025 Barca-Velha Golden Vines Master of Wine (MW) Scholarships. Each scholar will receive over $45,000 USD to cover Master of Wine-related and travel costs, along with mentorship from the distinguished judging panel that includes Jancis Robinson MW.
In addition to these main scholarships, ten emerging talents were awarded the Golden Vines Wine Scholar Guild Scholarships. The winners will be introduced at the ceremony next week here in Miami.
Golden Vines is an annual event that supports the Foundation’s efforts. The event is produced by Liquid Icons, founded by Gérard and his two close friends Lewis Chester and Alexander ‘Sasha’ Lushnikov in 2019. Its first initiative, The Golden Vines Report, surveyed 1,000 industry professionals across 120 countries, making it the largest and most diverse poll of its kind (Romané says it is audited by Big Four accounting firm, Deloitte, every year for full transparency).
To honor the Report’s winners and support a charitable foundation in Gérard Basset’s name, The Golden Vines Awards was launched in 2021. Held in some of the world’s most beautiful cities, such as Madrid last year and Paris the year before, the Awards are a three-day celebration of excellence, bringing together top producers, industry talent, and wine lovers. Think of it as the ‘Oscars’ of wine.
The intimate weekend for 150 people starts with two masterclasses on Nov. 7 led by local experts such as Lyn Farmer, then a winemaker lunch and award ceremony on Nov. 8, and various experiences for ticket holders on Nov. 9 such as a collaboration lunch between Masseto and luxury watchmaker F.P. Journe.
At $15,000 per ticket, Romané says there will be absolutely ‘no rationing all weekend’ of the best wines in the world, which will do the rounds all three days. Although the live auction is on that Friday night at the historic Alfred I. DuPont Building, the online portion is live and has raised close to $1,000,000 already (it closes Nov. 9 at 11:59pm ET). The live auction will be led by auctioneer Meaghan Steele of Sotheby’s. Some of the top lots include:
Ultimate Le Pin Experience with special guest, Jancis Robinson: Fiona and Jacques Thienpont, owners of the renowned Pomerol wine estate, Le Pin, will host a VIP tour, tasting and vineyard visit, followed by a fine wine lunch at the estate, on Thursday 25th June 2026. Renowned wine writer, award-winning journalist and author, Jancis Robinson, OBE MW, will also join for lunch. Plus, a Double Magnum (3L) of Le Pin 2009 (100 Points) signed by Fiona and Jacques Thienpont to take away. 8 guests.
A 1-Night Champagne experience at the historic Résidence Eisenhower, owned by the Descours Family. Includes coveted collection of Rare Champagne: Rare Le Contraste 1985 and 2015, a 3-bottle case each of Rare Millésime 2012 and Rare Rosé 2014, a Jéroboam (3L) of Rare Millésime 2006, and a Jéroboam (3L) of Rare Rosé Millésime 2014. Plus, VIP vineyard tour and tasting, followed by a Michelin star chef-prepared dinner featuring a menu inspired by General Eisenhower’s 1945 visit and paired with Rare Millésime 1985, 2002, 2012, 2013, and Rare Rosé 2014, plus special surprises throughout the evening. The dinner will also feature wines from the legendary 1945 vintage—including Château Margaux 1945, a Magnum (1.5L) of Château Gruaud Larose 1945, and Château d’Yquem 1945—alongside other extraordinary bottles from this iconic year to be revealed at the live auction. The experience also includes an overnight stay at the Eisenhower Residence, followed by a bespoke programme the following day. 4 guests.
3-Day Experience discovering Italian Argentina with Catena Zapata’s once-in-a-lifetime wine lover’s escape for four. A two-night stay at the Catena family’s private La Vendimia residence in Mendoza, vineyard tours, a Michelin-star lunch, wine blending and vertical tastings. This lot includes two bottles of Nicolás Catena Zapata (2020 & 2005, 0.75L each) and a magnum of Catena Zapata Malbec Argentino 2021 (1.5L) as a treasured gift. For 4 guests.
5-litre Jeroboam of Château Mouton Rothschild from the 2000 vintage, a legendary wine straight from the estate’s cellars; plus VIP tour of Château Mouton Rothschild delving into the heart of the estate’s technical installations, including the state-of-the art gravity-flow winery with its oak vats, as well as the historical yet avant-garde Grand Chai (Great Barrel Hall); conclude experience with an exquisite tasting of estate’s wines for 4 guests.
A rare Vertical of Jeroboam formats of Viñedo Chadwick: 2010 Double-Magnum (3L); 2011 Double-Magnum (3L) and 2012 Double-Magnum (3L); plus a customized experience for 6 guests, who will enjoy an exclusive moment at the Chadwick Family Estate in Chile, including a private driver from and to the hotel in Santiago, a guided tour of the estate and vineyard, followed by a vertical tasting of three distinct vintages of our most iconic back vintages. To complete the experience, a refined lunch will be prepared by a private chef at our terrace, expertly paired with two distinct vintages of Viñedo Chadwick. For 6 guests.
Exclusive Bolgheri Experience: a Double Magnum (3L) of 2007 Ornellaia signed by Production Manager, Marco Balsimelli; VIP tour, tasting, vineyard visit, and fine wine dinner featuring historical back vintages at the estate hosted by a member of the executive team for 6 guests.
An exclusive opportunity to enter Latour. The winner and five companions will be treated to a bespoke private tour of the property, a curated tasting of our signature wines, and a refined fine wine lunch experience overlooking the estate’s breathtaking vineyard landscape. To complete this experience one Double-Magnum (3L) of 2012 Grand Vin of Château Latour is also included. 6 guests.
Rare opportunity to experience Colgin Cellars with an evening at our IX Estate vineyard, perched high above Lake Hennessey. The winning bidder and five guests will be welcomed for a private dinner paired with a selection of Colgin Cellars library wines, served in the setting where they were crafted. As a memento of the experience, the winning bidder will take home three etched and individually numbered Jeroboams (3L) of 2005, 2006, and 2007 “IX Estate.” For 6 guests.
Romané recalls spending time with his father in 2019, understanding his thorough approach to wine that earned him so much praise and respect. Gérard, even in his last months, would go on walks with his son and quiz him on Bordeaux’s Left Bank appellations, north to south. It’s this legacy, this hunger, this desire to give back to the wine community that comes to define Gérard and the Foundation that supports the next ‘Best Sommeliers of the World’.
Next weekend, Miami gets to be a beacon for the wine community by hosting this special event and bringing people together to continue to fuel the passionate industry we belong to. Lastly, for wine collectors and novices alike, the bottles that will be opened are bound to be nothing but extraordinary and memorable.