Stage two students awarded IWSC Foundation scholarship
After awarding five stage one students, the IWSC Foundation has further granted 5 stage two students a scholarship of £5,000 each.
The scholarships were given to Amanda Barnes, Marina Olwen Fogarty, Evmorfia Kostaki, Dimitris Motsos and Andrew Shelly.
Christelle Guibert, CEO of the IWSC said, “More than ever, our industry needs to support education and encourage talents to achieve their ambitions to advance in their career and give back to our community. We all know the MW programme is not for the faint-hearted, and it is very encouraging to see real passion, determination and resilience in the applications. The IWSC Foundation is very proud to support five students in their MW journey.”
Sarah Harrison, head of operations at the IMW said, “Stage two of the IMW programme is a significant financial and resource commitment, and we are so grateful to the IWSC for their generosity in supporting these five students through their journey. Each candidate showed real commitment to the programme in their application, and I wish them all the very best of luck with their studies this year.”
IWSC Foundation is a non-profit organisation and the charitable arm of the IWSC. Established in October 2018, it aims to advance the causes that are key to the growth and long-term health of the wine and spirit industry globally. The Foundation awards grants to individuals and organisations that support and advance their core objectives.
Based in Mendoza, Amanda Barnes is a wine writer and specialist in the wine regions of South America. Author of the award-winning ‘The South America Wine Guide’, she is an experienced speaker and regularly hosts masterclasses internationally. She hopes to achieve and use the MW to elevate global understanding of South American wine regions.
Marina Olwen Fogarty has worked in her family winery based in Italy for over 20 years. She has gained experience in all aspects of the winemaking process, from vineyard work to marketing and sales. Marina has judged in several international wine competitions, translated books on wine and is a very passionate WSET-certified educator. She is committed to promoting the reputation of her wine region, Alto Piemonte, and hopes to continue her project of consolidating the reputation of its wines in the global market.
Evmorfia Kostaki is a viticulturist and winemaker from Samos, Greece. In addition to the WSET Diploma, she holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and a Master’s in Viticulture and Enology. Evmorfia is developing her own winery, Kostaki Estate, with a goal to change the world’s perception of the Muscat grape and to put Samos on the map by creating high-quality wine from her organic vineyards.
After discovering his passion for wine, 10 years into a career in communications, Dimitris Motsos’ life was taken over by wine. Having gained his WSET Diploma and becoming an educator, Dimitris has since worked in one of the biggest wine and spirit retailers in Greece. Now he is a judge in wine competitions, and also organises workshops, tastings and wine presentations, as well as offering support to hotels and restaurants in Greece.
Since becoming a certified wine educator, Andrew has founded winelab. where he runs regular tutors tasting workshops for WSET Diploma students and graduates. In his MW journey, Andrew hopes to further his own education with complete immersion into the programme and improve his role as a wine educator.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Gurpreet Raulia Marketing and Communications Officer
Institute of Masters of Wine
+44 (0)207 383 9139
graulia@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 uphold the highest standards of commercial conduct within the industry. Today, there are 415 Masters of Wine working in 30 countries. The membership encompasses winemakers, sommeliers, buyers, journalists, shippers, consultants, viticulturalists, academics, educators and more. The IMW works with 34 supporters and two research and industry associates, who help promote the IMW’s mission. The five principal supporters are Austrian Wine, AXA Millésimes, Constellation Brands, the Madame Bollinger Foundation, and Waitrose and Partners.