Geoffrey Moss MW receives the Villa Maria Award
Geoffrey Moss MW has received the Villa Maria Award for his outstanding knowledge and understanding of viticulture at the Institute of Masters of Wine’s awards ceremony.
The Villa Maria Award has been awarded annually to the person who earned the highest marks in the viticulture papers in the Master of Wine theory exams.
Although Geoffrey could not attend the live ceremony at Vintners’ Hall in London, he shared his delight and thanks via video link. He will be presented with his award in person at the awards ceremony in March 2022.
Matthew Deller MW, chief global sales and marketing officer at Villa Maria Estate in New Zealand said, “Viticulture has been dear to our hearts at Villa Maria for decades. We were early adopters in New Zealand of the philosophy that great wine is made in the vineyard. We have long been at the forefront of winegrowing innovation, quality and sustainability and it’s a highlight every year to recognise the new Master of Wine who has excelled in the viticulture papers. On behalf of Villa Maria, we want to heartily congratulate Geoffrey for his success in becoming a Master of Wine and winning the Villa Maria Award.”
On receiving the award, Geoffrey said, “I’m humbled and honoured to receive the Villa Maria Award. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the friends, family, and colleagues that supported me along the way. Especially the viticulturists and vineyard managers that generously shared their time and expertise.”
Geoffrey is the principal of Lithica Wine Marketing, a boutique branding and marketing agency focusing on direct-to-consumer sales and marketing. After graduating with a degree in political science from McGill University, Geoffrey enrolled in a winemaking and viticulture programme. His approach to sales and marketing is informed by his experience in the vineyard and cellar, working for some of the leading wineries in Canada. Geoffrey is also a wine writer and critic, contributing to Gismondi on Wine. He resides in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Sarah Kirkpatrick
Head of Marketing, Communications and Membership
Institute of Masters of Wine
+44 (0)207 383 9131
skirkpatrick@mastersofwine.org
Notes to editors:
About the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW)
The IMW is a membership organisation with an exceptional international reputation. For almost 70 years, its members – the Masters of Wine (MWs) – have been at the forefront of leadership and expertise in the world of wine. The IMW’s mission is to promote excellence, interaction and learning across all sectors of the global wine community. MWs prove their comprehensive understanding of wine by passing the MW exam, recognised worldwide for its rigour and exacting standards. In addition to passing the exam, members must sign the code of conduct before they are entitled to use the initials MW. This requires them to act with honesty and integrity, and use every opportunity to share their knowledge of wine with others. Today, there are 418 Masters of Wine working in 30 countries. The membership encompasses winemakers, sommeliers, buyers, journalists, shippers, consultants, academics, educators and more. There are 376 students from 41 countries in the 2020-2021 MW study programme.
About Villa Maria
Villa Maria is a 100 per cent privately Kiwi-owned winery in New Zealand. Villa Maria’s talented people have an unrelenting passion to produce quality wines. Realising that it takes more than just good winemaking to produce quality, a passion to succeed begins in the vineyard. Astute site selection by Villa Maria’s vineyard experts is followed by superior vineyard management and then complemented by expert winemaking. A strong focus on continually improving the vineyards is considered by Villa Maria to be an incredibly important factor in quality winemaking.