The Path to Becoming a Master of Wine

Learning about wine can take many forms. One path is through formal education or certification, whether an evening class at your local wine bar or a more intensive program. Wine lovers in America may have heard of a master sommelier, the exclusive title of those restaurant wine stewards who make it to the top of the Court of Master Sommeliers organization. The group has gained notoriety, some good, thanks to the “SOMM” series of movies and, unfortunately, some bad thanks to recent scandals in its ranks.Less known here in the States but more prevalent internationally is the master of wine. That title is awarded by the U.K.-based Institute of Masters of Wine, and given to those wine professionals (restaurant and otherwise) who prove their understanding of the wine industry through a rigorous examination. The IMW, as it is known to its members and those who are vying to join, started in 1955 with the six people who passed the first test (21 took it), given in 1953. Since then only 492 additional individuals have gone on to become MWs, making it one of the most difficult tests in the world. So why would anyone attempt it?Because those MW initials after someone’s name is shorthand for a person who should know what she is talking about when it comes to wine. The challenge itself is a temptation even though the journey to become one is long and not for the faint of heart.The prerequisites alone are difficult to achieve and meant to prove both existing theoretical and practical skills. They attempt to weed out those who may not have the capabilities to finish.The “theoretical” part is in the form of a high-level wine qualification like a diploma from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, an advanced sommelier certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers, or an oenology degree from a school like the University of California at Davis. The “practical” is by proving you’ve worked in the wine trade for at least the last three years. Finally, the entrance exam: write an essay, a tasting paper, a summary of why you want to be an MW, and then produce a letter of reference from a current MW.Once you’ve got in, the real work starts. This is a self-study program, meaning you have no one to blame but yourself if you aren’t prepared. The only requirements are attending a one-week seminar to get your tasting calibrated and to take the actual test.The IMW aims for global relevance and has seminar and testing locations in cities around the world. Travel is part of the deal, and everyone will have to do so to participate.To help guide you, the IMW provides nonrequired opportunities for learning. These include videos, feedback on practice essays and practice tasting papers, and remote or in-person seminars for further tasting calibration. There are trips and lectures offered throughout the year, and traveling to wine country, sometimes through the Institute but mostly on your own, is highly encouraged.Students sit for the Stage One Assessment, a mini version of the real MW exam, at the end of the first year. The sole purpose is to examine whether they are ready to take the actual test the following year. A pass allows you to move along to stage two; a near pass means you can try one more time, while with a fail you are out and can reapply in two years.If you are lucky to pass the S1A, you can look forward to the hardest test of your life. It’s spread across four days, and divided between practical, or tasting, and theory, or essay writing. The first three mornings are spent tasting and answering questions about 12 wines, blind. You are not physically blindfolded, but you don’t know anything about the wine in front of you before you get there, and nothing more than the color before the timer starts. You have to try to identify things like where the wine comes from, what grapes it is made of, and how the wine is made; you write about the style, identify the quality level, how old it is, and its commercial potential. All of that must be supported by evidence from the glass. If it tastes high-quality, what makes you think so? Is there new oak used? How long will it age for? And on and on.In the afternoons and all day on day four, one has the pleasure of writing a series of three essays in three hours. Questions to be answered are as delightful as, “Assess how drought tolerance can be achieved through viticulture,” and, “Can one wine ever be objectively better than another?” The topics feel endless.You have up to five tries to pass both portions of the test. There aren’t statistics available, but it’s estimated that the pass rate is about 7 percent — and you aren’t done yet.Then comes the research paper. Pick a topic and get it approved; if not, try again. Research for the next six months, write a 10,000-word dissertation, and then cross your fingers. A rewrite or two might be necessary, maybe even a whole new topic. You might be asking: “Why would anyone do this to themselves?”Well, because once it is accepted, you get to join a group of individuals just as mad and passionate about wine as you are. Doors open, opportunities arise, trips to wine regions around the world are offered — your expertise is that much more valuable. There is no guarantee of a better job or more money, but there is camaraderie and connections with your fellow MWs that you can count on for a lifetime.

The Path to Becoming a Master of Wine

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