‘6 MW vintage reflections: Serena Sutcliffe MW, 1976 vintage

In 1976, the Institute of Masters of Wine was still a relatively small and distinctly British institution. Two candidates became Masters of Wine that year, including the second female, at a time when women in senior roles across the wine trade were rare. Fifty years on, Serena Sutcliffe MW reflects on what it means to be an MW, the evolution of the wine industry and the IMW’s role within it.

What does being an MW mean to you?

I think that being an MW still carries weight. It was absolutely essential back in the Seventies, when ‘wimmin’ were really not taken seriously in the wine trade in the UK.  It does mean that you have done some work and are not just a sipping dilettante!

What are the biggest changes that you have observed in the wine industry since you became an MW?

Marketing  is much more relevant!  Overall quality worldwide is up, but sometimes to the detriment of stunning individual character.

Any surprises? Where do you see the next ten years in wine going?

Where is it going in the future?  We need to be very careful that coming generations do not turn away from wine, which we are seeing in Europe at the moment.

And where do you see the Institute’s role in this changing wine world?

Our main preoccupation and role must be doing all we can to help, with our varying talents, the way forward with regard to changing weather patterns and extremes and their impact on wine.

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?

I found it helpful to tell myself, when I got the MW in 1976, that I was only at the beginning of my wine knowledge! It really was just beginning….

 

Photo credit: Académie Internationale du Vin