Netherlands gains new Master of Wine
The Institute of Masters of Wine is delighted to announce that, following the successful submission of his dissertation, Cees van Casteren is now a Master of Wine.
Cees becomes only the second Dutch person to achieve the world’s most prestigious wine title. His success means that there are now 301 Masters of Wine in the world, from 23 different countries.
Cees said “I am both relieved and happy to be the second person from my country to achieve this prestigious qualification. Over the years, the interest in my pursuit of the Master of Wine title has been enormous. I am most thankful to my friends and family, who have supported me during this journey.”
Cees van Casteren started writing about wine in 2004. Since then he has written ten books and some 300 articles on wine and food. He is a noted wine educator in the Netherlands through his involvement with the partnership Liquid Assets, and also runs his own independent wine consultancy and training business. Cees has twice been named Dutch Vinologist of the Year. He is based in Venray, in the south of the Netherlands, where he lives with his wife and daughter. Outside wine, his interests are travel, golf and gastronomy.
Jean Michel Valette MW, Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, said:
“We are delighted to welcome Cees into the global Master of Wine family. His hard work and persistence have really paid off. I know that he will be an asset to the Institute and the broader wine trade in the Netherlands and beyond. We have several Dutch students in the Institute’s study programme, so I’m sure there won’t be a long wait before we have our next MWs in Holland.”
The subject of Cees’ dissertation was “An Examination of Chenin Blanc as the Potential Reference Wine of South Africa”. The dissertation is the third part of the Master of Wine exam, and follows the Theory and Practical examinations.
The Institute of Masters of Wine congratulates Cees on behalf of all its members worldwide, and looks forward to honouring his achievement at the Annual Reception in London in 2013.
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