Pippa to pick up ‘The Bunch’ award

Oenophile and in-law to the Royals, Pippa Middleton, is to be awarded for her wine knowledge by some of the UK’s most prestigious fine wine merchants.

Having passed with distinction the Wine and Spirit Education Trust’s Level 3 course in December, the aunt to the future King is to be honoured at an award ceremony organised by The Bunch next week.

Comprised of representatives from the UK’s longest-standing fine wine merchants – Berry Brothers & Rudd, Adnams, Corney & Barrow, Lea & Sandeman, Tanners and Yapp Brothers – The Bunch’s inaugural prize was contested by recent WSET graduates.

Commending her high scores, a spokesperson for the award told the Daily Mail, “It’s a worldwide exam undertaken by all sorts of people in the industry so it’s widely contested field… She’s done extremely well.”

Along with her award, the Mail reports that Pippa will also be presented with six cases of fine wine worth £1,500.

There are also reports that Pippa could be drafted in as a TV wine critic for US channel NBC’s flagship programme The Today Show. 

She said in December that she may take on the pinnacle wine accolade, the Master of Wine course, after taking the diploma qualification.

She wrote in The Spectator at the time, “[I] am contemplating taking a full diploma, described on the WSET website as the stepping-stone to the Master of Wine qualification.

“From party planner to sommelier – now that’s what I’d call career progression.”