For Women’s History Month I want to introduce you to a woman who has inspired me and countless others in the wine world, British wine critic, journalist and wine writer Jancis Robinson. From beginners to experts, her expertise and incredible educational content has made her one of the most famous women in the wine world. And she has broken through the glass ceiling in an industry dominated for years by males.
She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. And you know she is THE expert, as she also provides advice for the wine cellar of Queen Elizabeth II.
1975 when she became assistant editor for the trade magazine Wine & Spirit. In 1984, she became the first person outside the wine trade to become a Master of Wine. From 1995 until she resigned in 2010, she served as British Airways’ wine consultant, and supervised the BA Concorde cellar luxury selection.
As a wine writer myself, Jancis has been an inspiration. She is considered one of the world’s leading writers of educational and encyclopedic material on wine and was described by Decanter as “the most respected wine critic and journalist in the world”. The Oxford Companion to Wine, edited by Robinson, is widely considered to be the most comprehensive wine encyclopedia in the world.[5] The first edition was published in 1994, and took five years to write after she was signed on as editor in 1988. In addition, The World Atlas of Wine by Hugh Johnson and Robinson is one of the world’s leading wine atlases.
In 2012, Allen Lane (Penguin) in the UK and Ecco in the US published a 1,200-page book called Wine Grapes co-authored by Robinson with Julia Harding MW and Jose Vouillamoz which won every major wine book award. The book provides comprehensive details on 1,368 vine varieties and won six major wine book awards. She has also published a great educational book called Jancis Robinson’s Wine Course.
I first encountered Jancis in the 5 Minute Wine videos when taking my WSET Level 3 course, where she simply and clearly explained different wine styles for newbies like me. Her book, How to Taste, is an excellent way to understand wine tasting and a mandatory read for anyone interested in learning more about wine.
What I love best about her: she believes that wine tasting is a personal thing, not to be dictated by experts, and encourages you to create your own opinions through analysis.
For a link to her books, please visit Jancis Robinson (Author of The 24-Hour Wine Expert) (goodreads.com)
