‘6 MW vintage reflections: David Gleave MW and Arabella Woodrow MW, 1986 vintage
In 1986, three candidates passed the Master of Wine examination. The Institute was beginning to evolve and had recently opened its doors to candidates outside the UK wine trade. Forty years on, David Gleave MW and Arabella Woodrow MW reflect on what becoming an MW meant to them, the changes they have witnessed across the wine industry and what they see ahead for the next generation.
What does being an MW mean to you?
David
Put quite simply, it means I passed an exam 40 years ago. It was one step on my professional journey. In order to remain relevant and successful, you need to carry on taking many more steps, seeking always to learn and improve.
Arabella
I had always aspired to becoming an MW since my university days, and eventually managed it. I passed in 1986, after over six years in the trade, and found it an enormous boost to my career. Not only were women in senior wine roles few and far between in the UK at that time, so were female MWs – and the Institute was UK-only then.
Having had an academic career prior to joining the trade, I had expected to find studying for the exam easier than I did. But that was because study had to take place outside the day job, whereas at university, study was the day job.
What are the biggest changes that you have observed in the wine industry since you became an MW?
David
The overall standard of quality is much higher than it ever has been, and the number of quality wines from premium wine regions is greater than ever. This is exciting.
Arabella
The main change I noticed was the rapid rise in importance of wine sales in supermarket retail. In the early 1980s, hardly any wine was sold through these channels. I was offered a job as head of wine at the Co-operative just before passing the MW, so I was lucky in a way that the sector suddenly took off at that time.
Any surprises? Where do you see the next ten years in wine going?
David
After decades of growth, wine consumption is declining. This decline is primarily at the lower end of the market, while the upper end is stable, at best. I think this trend is only going to accelerate in the next decade.
Arabella
Certainly, in the UK at present, the hospitality industry is having a very hard time, and this creates difficulties for wine importers and producers supplying this market. It’s important for MWs to prepare for this.
And where do you see the Institute’s role in this changing wine world?
David
Education, education and more education.
Arabella
Fashion in wine, as with everything else, is unpredictable and capricious, especially as wine is an agricultural product and dependent on weather conditions during the growing season and vintage.
As more and newer regions and countries compete for selling wine around the world, more opportunities are created for trading, but it is not necessarily those that shout the loudest, or capture the zeitgeist of the day, who succeed in the long term. Armed with the skills and knowledge to understand that is key to managing expectations in a business which needs to establish its priorities as well as cope with difficult vintages.
The study for the MW title is key to this, not just from knowledge gained but also from meeting experienced professionals who take part in seminars and course days.
Is there any guidance, words of wisdom, or tips that you would like to give this year’s incoming vintage, the 2026 MWs that will soon be joining our family?
David
Three of us passed in 1986, and I was the only man. I think it was the first year when more women passed than men. A couple of years later, Michael Hill Smith became the first person to pass who wasn’t working in the UK wine trade.
Since then, the IMW has become more mixed from a gender, background and nationality point of view. I think this is something we need to continue to promote.
Arabella
I would say to those joining the Institute this year to have a good think about how, or if, they wish their career to change as a result.
A lot of opportunities and offers will be made in the short term—such as promotion, more money, new jobs and offers to judge in wine competitions. While it is tempting to do as much as possible, and enjoy the moment of glory, a good work/life balance is also necessary in the longer term.
Get to know fellow MWs and enjoy friendships and collaborations that may ensue. Above all, be proud of your hard-won achievement!
Photo credits: Liberty Wines, Decanter World Wine Awards