Last night, the sixth WSET Outstanding Alumni Award, instituted and sponsored by JancisRobinson.com, went to Alexandra Schrecengost, who had flown across the Atlantic from New Jersey for the annual WSET Awards & Graduation ceremony in London. Jancis was unable to present the award in person because she's travelling, but I was honoured to stand in for her and represent JR.com.
The award was organised in partnership with Jancis in 2016 as a way of recognising WSET alumni who had gone on to achieve great things in wine. The first one went to the inimitable Isabelle Legeron MW, and in early 2020 Jancis had the unexpected pleasure of handing the award to one of her own team, Ferran Centelles. Other winners include: Ferdinand Mayr, educator and winemaker (2021); Caro Maurer MW, writer, educator and consultant (2018); and Sarah Jane Evans MW, wine writer and journalist (2017).
The panel selecting the winner for the 2022 award was specifically tasked with recognising 'an alumnus who has made an exceptional contribution to creating positive change within the global drinks industry'. Alexandra was chosen because of her work to foster human connections and diversity through culture in the hospitality industry through an organisation called Culture With Us.
Her biography reads: '2021 Wine Enthusiast 40 under 40 Tastemaker, and 2022 Tory Burch Fellow, Alexandra Schrecengost founded Virtual With Us in 2020 following Culture With Us in 2021 – and serves as the CEO. The organisations' missions are to support global corporations with distributed workforces through cultural programming, DEI initiatives and food and beverage entertainment to better improve human connections. With more than 20+ years of experience in wine, spirits, hospitality, lifestyle, and luxury public relations, Alex's focus has been on community-building that ties into events marketing. She holds the WSET level 4 Diploma distinction in wine, hosts a number of wine and spirits events including the Brown-Forman Women in Spirits to bring to light female leadership in the beverage industry and has been featured in Wine Spectator, The Today Show online, Vogue, Ebony and more spreading the message of diversity. She is a member of Les Dames NY, and sits on the beverage committee for The James Beard Foundation; as well as the Board for Self Help Africa. Alex lives in New Jersey with her husband and their identical twin eight-year-old boys, is a huge fan of tequila and Tempranillo – and enjoys traveling, reading and dancing in her free time.’
How she finds time for tequila, I have no idea!
Many congratulations to Alexandra.
Other award recipients this evening include Felicity Cox (Vintners Cup); Peter Bland (Vintners Scholarship); Marc Bloom (Napa Valley Vintners Asia Pacific Scholarship); Cory Marx (Decanter Americas Scholarship); Kristel Balcaen (IWC Trophy) as well as Alexander Johnson and our own Oliver Coleman (Derouet Jameson Award).
