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Julian Brind, President of the Wine & Spirit Association

Julian Brind MW , President of the Wine & Spirit Association. Julian has been in the wine trade for 38 years, having started as a management trainee with Brown & Pank Wine and Spirit Co. (later part of IDV). Awarded the 'Vintners Scholarship' in 1967, he toured France, Germany, Spain and Portugal for seven months. Then in 1970 Julian attained his MW, joining Waitrose's wine buying department a year later. Julian was appointed Vice Chairman of the Institute of the Masters of Wine in 1992, and then Chairman in 1993. In 1995, he was appointed Head of Buying Wines, Spirits, Beers and Soft Drinks at Waitrose. Julian is also Ombudsman to the Circle of Wine Writers since 2001. He is now working Part time for Waitrose. He was elected President of the WSA in June 2002, taking over from Tom Yusef.