Mary Margaret McCamic MW awarded the 2016 Bollinger Medal
The Madame Bollinger Foundation has awarded the Bollinger Medal for excellence in tasting and outstanding achievement in the Institute of Masters of Wine Practical Examinations to Mary Margaret McCamic MW.
Presented by the Secretary of The Madame Bollinger Foundation, Andrew Hawes, Mary Margaret received the prize at the Institute’s annual Award Ceremony in London, which celebrated the induction of 18 new MWs to the Institute and recognised individual excellence in all aspects of the Masters of Wine Examination.
The Bollinger Medal has been awarded 28 times since its inauguration in 1988. The winners of the Bollinger Medal comprise nine different nationalities of Masters of Wine, fifteen men and thirteen women, spread as far as Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Finland, Sweden, Austria and the United Kingdom.
Commenting on the importance of such recognition of achievement in wine education, Etienne Bizot, Chairman of The Madame Bollinger Foundation, said; “In the pursuit of excellence in wine education, the Institute of Masters of Wine is without question the global reference, the leading light, in its field. It gives me great pleasure to see the truly international nature of today’s Masters of Wine, and to award the Bollinger Medal to Mary Margaret, a superlative taster, in honour of Madame Bollinger.”
Mary Margaret McCamic MW lives in Napa, where she is currently a sales manager for Screaming Eagle, one of the region’s most prestigious wineries. Mary Margaret is also a WSET Certified Educator and has taught at the Napa Valley Wine Academy. She cut her teeth in the wine industry working at Keith McNally’s flagship New York restaurant, Balthazar, in the wine department.
Mary Margaret sat and passed on first attempt both the theory and practical parts of her MW exams in 2015. Her Research Paper, the final part of the MW Study Programme is titled: An investigation into the exceptions for wine in the Volstead Act: What impact did these exceptions have on grape growing and wine production in Napa Valley during US Prohibition?
Mary Margaret said; “It is such an honour to receive the Bollinger Medal. It is an achievement that I could not have accomplished without the help of so many others, including my study companions and the countless Masters of Wine who generously offered their time and knowledge throughout my MW journey.”
For winning the medal, Mary Margaret will receive a stock of the full range of Bollinger Champagnes, and a private tour and tasting at Champagne Bollinger.
The Madame Bollinger Foundation is a Principal Supporter of the Institute.
For more information please contact:
Sarah Kirkpatrick
Marketing and Communications Manager
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 Institute of Masters of Wine (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 examination, recognised worldwide for its rigour and exacting standards. In addition to passing the examination, 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 354 Masters of Wine working in 28 countries. The membership encompasses winemakers, sommeliers, buyers, journalists, shippers, consultants, academics, educators and more.
The Madame Bollinger Foundation was founded in honour of Madame Lily Bollinger who tirelessly headed the eponymous Champagne house from 1941, following the death of her husband, to retirement in 1973. Founded in 1987, and established as the first partner of The Institute of Masters of Wine in 1988, the purpose of The Madame Bollinger Foundation is to promote excellence in oenology and to foster quality, education, professional qualification and ethics in all matters relating to wine at an international level. The Foundation and the board of trustees have determined that the Institute of Masters of Wine is the best organisation to help reach this aim, and are proud of their long and continuous association with the Institute for over 25 years.
Winners of the Bollinger Medal:
- 1988 – Michael Hill Smith MW
- 1989 – Mark Pardoe MW
- 1990 – Joanna Locke MW
- 1991 – Alun Griffiths MW
- 1992 – Jonathan Pedley MW
- 1993 – Andrew Caillard MW
- 1994 – John Hoskins MW
- 1995 – Peter Marks MW
- 1996 – Matthew Stubbs MW
- 1997 – Anne Tupker MW
- 1998 – Gerard Basset MW
- 1999 – John Atkinson MW
- 2000 – Not awarded
- 2001 – Linda Jotham MW
- 2002 – Konstantinos Lazarakis MW
- 2003 – Toni Paterson MW
- 2004 – Simon Larkin MW
- 2005 – Susan Hulme MW
- 2006 – Essi Avellan MW
- 2007 – Ulf Sjodin MW
- 2008 – Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
- 2009 – Isabelle Legeron MW
- 2010 – Alex Hunt MW
- 2011 – Samantha Caporn MW
- 2012 – Andreas Wickhoff MW
- 2013 – Anne McHale MW
- 2014 – Louise Sydbeck MW
- 2015 – Rebecca Gibb MW
- 2016 – Mary Margaret McCamic MW