386: How Did a World Memory Champion, a Theatre Director, a Voice Coach, a TV Actor, and a Professional Magician Help Gerard Basset Win the World's Best Sommelier Competition?

How did a world memory champion, a theatre director, a voice coach, a TV actor, and a professional magician all help one person win the World's Best Sommelier Competition? How do top performers use nerves and adrenaline to their advantage? What do high achievers do when they accomplish the dreams they've been chasing for years? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with Nina and Romané Basset, who have just published a commemorative edition of the book Tasting Victory: The Life and Wine of the World's Favourite Sommelier by Gerard Basset. You can find the wines we discussed at . Giveaway Two of you are going to win a copy of Nina and Romané Basset's commemorative edition of Tasting Victory: The Life and Wines of the World's Favorite Sommelier by Gerard Basset. To qualify, all you have to do is email me at natalie@nataliemaclean.com and let me know that you've posted a review of the podcast. I'll choose two people randomly from those who contact me. Good luck! Highlights Why are narrative associations and humor often more powerful than rote memorization? What did a brutally honest voice coach help Gérard change about the way he communicated? Why did Gérard's near-perfect performance in Athens unravel? What was the hardest part of the Master of Wine journey for Gérard? How did studying The Economist help Gérard learn to think and argue in the style the Master of Wine exam demanded? What happened when Gérard achieved the last great title that had driven him for years? How did Gérard evolve when old methods were no longer enough? Why did writing his memoir become so important to Gérard? Why was a commemorative edition of Tasting Victory necessary? About Nina and Romané Basset Nina and Romané Basset are Co-Founding Trustees of the Gérard Basset Foundation, the Charity set up to fund education, mentorship and training in the wine, spirits and hospitality industries to honour the legacy of Gérard Basset. To learn more, visit .

You can listen to 386: How Did a World Memory Champion, a Theatre Director, a Voice Coach, a TV Actor, and a Professional Magician Help Gerard Basset Win the World's Best Sommelier Competition? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

386: How Did a World Memory Champion, a Theatre Director, a Voice Coach, a TV Actor, and a Professional Magician Help Gerard Basset Win the World's Best Sommelier Competition? is an episode from Unreserved Wine Talk by Natalie MacLean.

This episode is 50:56 long.

This episode was published on Apr 22, 2026.

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