Michael Broadbent is one of the most experienced lecturers and writers on wine and has to his credit an unmatched combination of qualifications, international honors and awards.
Born in Yorkshire, England, in 1927 – a very good Port vintage!- he trained as an architect, but at the age of twenty-five changed his career and entered the wine trade first with Layton’s, next with the West End Wine merchants, Saccone and Speed, and, from 1955 with Harvey’s of Bristol. In 1966 he resigned as Sales Director to restart wine auctions at Christie’s which soon dominated this very specialized business. In fact he is perhaps best known, internationally, as a wine auctioneer having pioneered wine auctions in Amsterdam, Geneva, Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and the United States.
Amongst other positions held, he has been President of The International Wine and Food Society, Chairman of The Institute of Masters of Wine, Master of the Worshipful Company of Distillers and Chairman of The Wine & Spirit Trades’ Benevolent Society.
Honors & Awards:
• 2003 Wine Literary Award recipient for 50 years of contribution to the world of wine writing
• Recipient of the 2003 James Beard Award for Best Wine Book (Vintage Wine 2002)
• Glenfiddich Award for Wine Writer of the Year (2001)
• Master of Wine
• Founder (1966) and current Senior Consultant, of Christie’s International Wine Department Auction
• Director, Christies Wine Course
• Chairman of the Wine Trade Art Society
• Past Senior Wine Consultant to British Airways
• Past Chairman of the Institute of Master of Wine
• Past President of the International Wine and Food Society
• Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Distillers
• Past Chairman of the Wine and Spirit Trades Benevolent Society
• Chevalier dans l’Ordre National du Merite (1979)
• Medaille de la Ville de Pris – Echelon Vermeil (1989)
• Distinguished Service Award (Wine Spectator, New York, 1991)
• Lifetime Acheivement Award of the Society of Bacchus of America (1992)
• Decanter magazine “Man of the Year” (1993)
• Membre d’Honneur de L’Academie Internationale du Vin (1994)
• Mousquetaire, Compagnie des Mousquetaires d’Armagnac (1979)
• Commandeur d’Honneur de la Commanderie du Bontemps de Medoc et des Graves (1965)
• President of the Fete de la Fleur, Commanderie du Bontemps de Medoc et des Graves (1988)
• Commandeur, Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, (1993)
• Confrerie d’Honneur de las Confrerie St. Etienne d’Alsace (1985)
• Prodhome de la Jurade de Saint-Emilion (1965)
• Gentilhomme de Fronsac (1969)
• Cavaleiro da Confraria do Vinho do Porto (1985)
• Personnalite de l’Annee (International Oenology, Paris, 1985)
• Author, Wine Tasting (published 1968, now in the 12th edition and translated into 8 foreign languages)
• Author, The Great Vintage Wine Book (UK & USA 1980; also in Dutch and German)
• Author, The Great Vintage Wine Book II (UK & USA 1991)
• Author, Pocket Guide to Wine Vintages (1995, 2000)
• Author, Vintage Wine (2002-)
• Author, Pocket Guide to Wine Vintages for Wine Tasting (1992, 1995)
• Le Grand Prix de l’Academie International du Vin (1984)
• The Andre Simon Memorial Award for Vintage Wine (2003)
• The Glenfiddich Award for Wine Tasting (1978)
• The Glenfiddich Award for The Great Vintage Wine Book (1981)
• The Silver Medal of Akademie Deutschlands E.V.
• Gastronomische for the new German edition of Wine Tasting (9193)
• Marques de Caceres Award (for introducing wine to the consumer, 1987)
• The Verumeus Buning Award (Netherlands) for services to international gastronomy (1992)
• Longest regular contributor to Decanter Magazine (over 300 columns as of March 2003)
• Regular contributor to Falstaff (Austria)
• First honorary President of WSET (appointed in July 2007)
