Bumper crop of new Masters of Wine includes first-ever Turkish MW
The Institute of Masters of Wine is delighted to welcome eight new Masters of Wine into the Membership. The announcement brings the total number of Masters of Wine to 312, in 24 countries, and comes days before the Institute celebrates its 60th Anniversary with a week of special events in London.
The eight new MWs – two of whom work in the US, and six in the UK – include the first ever Turkish Master of Wine. Each of them has successfully passed all three parts of the Master of Wine examination, which consists of Theory and Practical papers and a Dissertation.
Dilek Caner MW (US) is a full-time wine educator in Dallas, Texas. She previously worked at Wine & Spirits Magazine and was a sommelière at Restaurant Alain Ducasse. Dilek, who is originally from Istanbul, becomes the first Turkish Master of Wine.
Amy Christine MW (US) works for Kermit Lynch, a boutique Burgundy and Bordeaux importer in Berkeley, California. Amy also owns and operates artisanal winery Black Sheep Finds with her husband Peter Hunken.
James Davis MW (UK) is the Senior Buyer for retailer and brewer Greene King, who operate over 2000 restaurants, pubs and bars around the UK. James previously worked for Costco & Tesco as a wine buyer.
Barry Dick MW (UK) is currently the UK Wine Development Director for Accolade Wines. Barry, a Northern Irishman, studied Oenology at the University of Adelaide, Australia. He has worked as a winemaker in France, Spain, California and Australia. Barry was also a resident winemaker for Sainsbury’s UK for almost 5 years.
Matthew Hemming MW (UK) is Fine Wine Manager at Averys Wine Merchants in Bristol, which he joined straight from university in 2002. Outside of wine – particularly those from Burgundy and Australia – Matthew is a keen mountain biker.
Anne McHale MW (UK) works for Berry Bros. & Rudd, Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant, as one of their key Wine Educators. She also hosts educational tastings and dinners in the company’s 300 year old cellars. The UK Circle of Wine Writers made her their Young Wine Writer of the Year in 2010.
Jon Pepper MW (UK) is the Managing Director of UK importer Buckingham Schenk, where he has worked on developing Argentine brand Viñalba, launching the company’s new on-trade portfolio, and bringing pre-packed goblet brand Intrepid Fox to market. He joined the wine trade in 2006 after a career marketing luxury goods.
Demetri Walters MW (UK) is sales manager for Private Wine Events at Berry Bros. & Rudd, where he is responsible for a variety of wine tasting and wine orientated and educational events. Demetri is half-Cypriot and wrote his Dissertation on the export prospects for wine from Cyprus.
Penny Richards, Executive Director of the Institute, said:
“We are delighted for the new Masters of Wine, and very proud of their achievement. There was a lot of joy and relief – and a few tears – when I called to give them the good news early this morning. Ask any Master of Wine and they will tell you that the moment they discovered they had passed is one of life’s highlights. I felt privileged to share that moment with them after all their hard work.”
Alison Eisermann Ctercteko MW (AUS), Eric Hemer MW (US) and Adam Lapierre MW (US) became Masters of Wine in May, bringing the total for 2013 to 11 new Members.
The titles of the successful dissertations submitted by the new Masters of Wine are listed below. This year’s pass rate for Dissertations submitted for examination has been an astonishing 92 percent.
Ends (06 September 2013)
Contact
For enquiries about this release please contact:
Ben McKeown
Communications Manager, Institute of Masters of Wine
T: +44 (0)207 383 9131
E: bmckeown@mastersofwine.org
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Dissertation titles:
Dilek Caner MW: Washington State Syrah: US consumer and trade perspectives
Amy Christine MW: The Decline of Varietally Labelled US Syrah
James Davis MW: Understanding consumer attitudes to large wine brands as a purchasing cue in the UK multiple on trade: a comparison of value and premium multiple outlets
Barry Dick MW: Analyse the performance of ISO tanks versus single use Flexitank as a method of transporting a bulk white wine from Australia to the UK
Mathew Hemming MW: A survey of UK independent wine merchants to understand current business strategies and trends in the sector
Anne McHale MW: Beaujolais in UK market: UK wine trade attitudes and future prospects
Jon Pepper MW: Argentine wine in the UK multiple off trade
Demetri Walters MW: Can Cyprus build an export market in the UK with premium red wine, and how important are native grapes to achieving this aim?
Notes to Editors:
Master of Wine is internationally recognised as the foremost title in the world of wine. The qualification, established in 1953, is today held by professionals across the international wine community who have demonstrated both theoretical knowledge and practical ability in the art, science and business of wine and who are committed to professional excellence.
It is membership of the Institute of Masters of Wine and abiding by its Code of Conduct, not only passing the Master of Wine Examination, which confers the right to use the title Master of Wine.
A Master of Wine is someone who has demonstrated, by way of rigorous examination, a thorough knowledge of all aspects of wine and an ability to communicate that knowledge clearly. They actively encourage others in the pursuit of knowledge as well as seeking to bring wine communities together.
The Institute’s vision is one of knowledge and integrity. Through its members – the international community of 312 Masters of Wine – and its activities, it promotes excellence, interaction and learning, across all sectors of the global wine community.
In keeping with its original aims, the Institute promotes a cross-disciplinary approach to understanding wine at the highest level. It also organises and contributes to wine trade events around the world. Annual visits are made to wine producing regions whilst the Institute’s annual tasting and master class programme provides an independent and authoritative perspective on wine.
Every four years, its international symposium brings together leading figures from the wine community to address topical issues in an independent forum. The next Symposium will be held in Florence from 15-18 May 2014.
More information about the Institute and its activities, including biographies of Masters of Wine, can be found elsewhere on this website.