Vashti Galpin has a doctorate in Computer Sciences from the University of Edinburgh, and lectured at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.
She is currently a researcher at the University of Edinburgh and conducts research in the area of theoretical computer science. Vashti first joined a tasting group in 1991 with academic colleagues. She started her formal wine education with the CWA Preliminary course in 1999, and obtained the CWA Diploma II in 2001.
Her CWM seminar “Comparison of legislation about winemaking additives and processes” compares the legislation of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, the European Union and the USA regarding additives and processes as well as the labelling of these.
Vashti is a member of the South African Society of Wine Tasters and the Free Run Wine Society. She has been involved in exam setting and lecturing for the Cape Wine Academy. Her focus is white wine, in particular Riesling, dry white Bordeaux blends and unfortified dessert wines.
As a vegetarian, she is also interested in matching wine with vegetarian food. She has not yet found a way to combine her computer science research with her wine and food interests, but she is working on it.
