Serena is considered one of the world's leading authorities on wine. A former Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, Serena was made a Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 1988. She was elected to the Académie Internationale du Vin in 1993 and, in 2002, she received the New York Institute of Technology's Professional Excellence Award. In 2006, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Society of Bacchus America, and was awarded the title of Chevalier dans l Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur for her seminal work in promoting and selling French wines. She is the first person in the British Wine Trade to receive this honour. Serena has been International Head of Sotheby's Wine Department since 1991 and is also a member of Sotheby's European Board. Sotheby's holds wine sales in London, where they lead the market, in New York and in Hong Kong, specialising in great single-owner sales. She is an internationally recognised wine writer and renowned taster, and writes regularly for many international publications. Serena is a regular lecturer and broadcaster in Europe, the United States and Asia. Her book, The Wines of Burgundy, appeared in its 8th edition in 2005.