A drink with... Augusto & Alberto Gherardi

Born in a village near Perugia in Umbria, twin brothers Augusto and Alberto Gherardi head up the prestigious education program at the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants group, and run their own wine communication business, The Wine Jokers, studying for the Master of Wine qualification in their spare time. Winners of the 2025 Sommelier Edit Excellence in Education award, the unstoppable pair took time out to speak to Decanter about their own journey and what's hot on the Umbrian wine scene.

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Alberto ‘We don’t come from a wine background. Our family is in fashion – they have their own brand, Alessandro Gherardi, and also work for labels such as Ferragamo, Dior and Louis Vuitton. So many people are surprised when we tell them we decided to follow a completely different path. We started from scratch.’

Augusto ‘Wine has always been an important part of our lives, though, with classic Italian family meals around the table. Growing up, our grandmother introduced us to the world of (often bretty!) diluted wine - that’s also why we both still love a tiny bit of brett in wine!’

Augusto ‘In our work as wine education managers, we run WSET courses (Levels 1-3) for staff and for the public, and the company has also just opened a site at 22 Bishopsgate, London, that focuses more on cooking classes, corporate masterclasses and events. It was great to win the award for Excellence in Education - it’s a reminder we’re going in the right direction.’