WSET pioneer Gareth Lawrence dies
Gareth Lawrence, the longest-serving member of staff at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), has passed away following a long illness. The former WSET CEO, Ian Harris, pays tribute to a colleague and friend who inspired generations of wine and spirits professionals worldwide.
It is with great sadness that I have to announce the passing, following a long period of poor health, of Gareth Lawrence, with whom I worked for 20 years during my tenure as CEO of WSET, and who was the Wine & Spirit Education Trust’s longest-serving member of staff.
He joined the fledgling WSET as general administrator in 1978 and started to lecture on the Certificate Course almost immediately, showing a flair for teaching which belied his calm demeanour. Throughout his distinguished WSET career of more than three decades, he taught most of the people who were working in the wine industry. I can certainly remember him covering his favourite subject of South-East and Central Europe at both Certificate and Higher Certificate level when I joined the wine trade in the late 70s.
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When I became CEO of WSET in 2002, Gareth was the senior lecturer (as we called them in those days), working alongside Michael Buriak and the late Godfrey Spence at the WSET London School, which was then based in Five Kings House on Upper Thames Street. On moving to Bermondsey St in 2005, Gareth embraced the new WSET Spirits programmes enthusiastically, quickly becoming one of the lead Educators as WSET increased its portfolio of qualifications and expanded its global reach. He was invited to join the Worshipful Company of Distillers and took an active part in their activities.
He was a very private man, and very quiet and unassuming until he was in front of a classroom, or an examination room full of nervous students, where he took charge with great authority – many Diploma students will remember his no-nonsense announcement: “Examination rules are now in force!” as they anxiously turned over their examination papers.
Following his retirement from full-time teaching, Gareth continued to work part-time marking examination scripts, but his health continued to decline, and he died peacefully in hospital on 22nd July 2025. Rest in Peace Gareth.
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So sorry to hear this news. Gareth was a true legend in wine education. May his memory be a blessing
So sorry to hear this news. Gareth was a legend in wine education and one of my first WSET teachers. May his memory be a blessing.
Gareth was a unique and special person, reserved quiet and always with a welcoming smile on my visits as Trustee and Lecturer. He became a good friend and supporter over the years and I am thankful he was always there when advice was needed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. RIP Gareth.
Rest in peace Gareth.
Fond memories of you always.
I am so sad to hear the news about Gareth. He taught me and my colleagues at MMI in Dubai back in the 1990s and I continued to work with him at QDC in Qatar between 2000 and about 2010. He was an inspiration to me and to many others I worked with in the Gulf and will not be forgotten. RIP Gareth.
Really sad news to hear. I first met Gareth in 2003, and our paths crossed many times over the years. The last time I saw him was a Port tasting for the WSET Diploma a few months before Covid changed everything. I will always remember his kindness and his gentle personality. He really did just want to help people learn about and enjoy wine.
Terribly sad to hear about Gareth’s passing. He made a real impact during my studies and will be missed.
sorry to hear the news ,taught me my wine knowledge ,very nice person
I am so saddened to hear this, I remember him greatly as my mentor throughout my WSET journey, culminating in my Diploma in 2004. I specifically recall his words of caution using the word ‘some’ in tasting notes. He enthusiastically said “Wow, there are SOME tannins in this wine!” and then quickly followed up with a demure “There are some tannins in this wine.” His change in tonality really made me understand that the spoken word translates very differently when writing a tasting note. Rest in Peace Gareth.