50 future influencers of the global drinks industry

The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) announced the final Future 50 Awards list at the IWSC’s annual Awards Banquet last night. The Future 50 is a new initiative created by WSET and IWSC in celebration of their joint 50^th birthdays to select 50 future influencers (aged under 40) of the global drinks industry.

The Future 50 are identified as the up-and-coming talent who have made a significant contribution to the industry in the last three years in a range of areas including, career, academia, social responsibility and innovation across wine, spirit and sake.

The top 50 influencers came from a pool of over 600 nominations of professionals working as winemakers and distillers, in product development, design and distribution, marketing, journalism, hospitality and everything in between.

Choosing the winners was an exhaustive two stage vetting process using the knowledge and authority of an illustrious panel of expert judges from around the world. These include Stephanie Macleod (Master Blender, Dewar’s), Richard Paterson (Master Blender, Whyte & MacKay), Xavier Rousset MS (restaurateur), Joe Fattorini (The Wine Show), Ian Harris (WSET) and Allen Gibbons (IWSC), supported by a global regional advisory panel covering 17 countries.

The final list is an exciting collection of the brightest talent from around the globe covering fourteen countries and roles as diverse as distiller, viticulturalist, historian, bartender and food and beverage activist.

WSET Chief Executive, Ian Harris, says, “We are delighted with the final Future 50 list.  It offers a genuine reflection of the young talent we have in the wine, spirit and sake categories globally. Each of the winners should be very proud their achievement.  We look forward to seeing them making their mark and shaping the future of our industry.”

IWSC Chief Executive in Fine Wines and Spirits, Christelle Guibert, says, "Narrowing down the 600+ nominations we received from around the world was a rigorous and lengthy process, with each candidate showing a wealth of talent and expertise. We are confident that the final 50 showcases the brightest sparks of the wine, spirits and sake industries, and look forward to seeing their careers develop over the coming years.”

The three winners from Australia in the final list are: James Hook and Nick Glaetzer in the wine category and Ryan Hartshorn in the spirits category. A full list of winners can be found at Future 50 2019.