AWSEC was joined by the UK winners, wine merchants and Italian wine specialist, Enotria and Erica Dent of Enjoy Discovering Wine.
The announcement was made last night (January 20) at the WSET's Graduation ceremony in London's Guildhall.
Trust chief executive Ian Harris told the packed hall that the AWSEC was the WSET's longest established APP (approved programme provider) in Hong Kong and three of the five highest scoring Diploma graduates this year came from AWSEC.
The WSET's highest honour for the highest aggregate score in the Diploma exams, the Worshipful Company of Vintners' Vintner's Cup, was awarded to AWSEC's Sarah Heller of Meiburg Wine Media. She received the trophy from the WSET's outgoing honorary president, Jancis Robinson OBE MW and the Vintners' master, Anthony Sykes.
Harris said that 48,434 people took WSET qualifications in the past academic year. Nearly 1,500 did the Diploma and there are now approximately 8,000 holders of the WSET Diploma. The exams are available in 17 languages.
Harris also announced a new course on sake, to be run through AWSEC.
The WSET's new honorary president is another well known figure in the wine trade, master of wine and master sommelier, Gerard Basset.
Lucy Britner, Drinks International's former deputy editor and still a regular contributor to DI, received her Diploma from Jancis Robinson last night.
