Rebecca Wasserman-Hone | |
---|---|
Born | Rebecca Louisa Rand January 18, 1937 |
Died | August 20, 2021
Beaune, France | (aged 84)
Other names | Becky Wasserman |
Occupation(s) | Wine expert, importer, promoter |
Spouse | Russell Hone |
Children | 2 |
Rebecca Wasserman-Hone (January 18, 1937 – August 20, 2021) was an American wine expert, importer, and promoter, based in France.
Rebecca Louisa Rand was born and raised in New York City, [1] the daughter of Louis H. Rand and Yolanda Y. Dragoș. Her father was a stockbroker; her mother was a ballerina with the Romanian Royal Opera House. [2] She graduated from Hunter College High School, and then briefly attended Bryn Mawr College. She had musical training as a harpsichordist, and studied composition. [3]
Wasserman moved to Burgundy in 1968 with her husband and young children, and lived on a farm in Bouilland. After a divorce, [4] she worked with a neighbor to sell oak barrels to American wineries. [5] In time, she became a wine agent, initially for a California importer, Kermit Lynch. She founded her business, Le Serbet (later Becky Wasserman & Co.), in Beaune in 1979. [6] [7] In 1997 she became a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole, for her services to Burgundy farmers. She was honored with the Decanter's Hall of Fame award in 2019. [8]
Wasserman-Hone was credited with promoting awareness of the products of artisanal vineyards in Burgundy to Americans and other markets. [9] [10] [11] She had little patience for fussiness about wines, saying "A wine is not to be discussed, it is to be drunk and give happiness and joy and a nice feeling to people." [3]
Rebecca Rand married three times. Her first husband was Dennis Andrew; they divorced. Her second husband was artist Bart Wasserman. They had two sons before they, too, divorced. Her third husband was a British wine expert, Russell Hone. They married in 1989. After several years of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, [8] she died in Beaune in 2021, aged 84 years. [3] [12]