The Madame Bollinger Foundation awards the 2022 Madame Bollinger Medal to Justin Martindale MW
Last night, Justin Martindale MW was announced as the 2022 winner of the Madame Bollinger Medal, which is awarded for excellence in tasting and outstanding achievement in the Institute of Masters of Wine practical exams. Justin was announced as the winner by Alan Montague-Dennis, Director of Prestige Sales for Bollinger’s UK importer, Mentzendorff, on behalf of Etienne Bizot, the Chairman of the Madame Bollinger Foundation and also President of Groupe Bollinger at the annual IMW awards ceremony held at Vintners’ Hall in London.
This year marks the 34th occasion that the Madame Bollinger Medal has been presented since its inauguration in 1988.
Commenting on the importance of such recognition of achievement in wine education, Etienne Bizot, great-nephew of Madame Bollinger, said; “The “Madame Bollinger Foundation” was launched by my Father, Christian Bizot, at Vintners’ Hall in 1988 aiming to foster quality, education and ethics in all matters relating to wine at an international level. The Institute of Masters of Wine is without question the global reference in the pursuit of wine excellence in education and I am therefore delighted to award the 2022 Madame Bollinger Medal to Justin for this great achievement.”
Upon being presented with the award, Justin Martindale MW said; “I’m absolutely delighted to have won this coveted award and hugely grateful to Champagne Bollinger for their generosity and support. I’m very proud to follow in the footsteps of so many other illustrious MWs who have won this award before me. I owe a huge thanks to the IMW and everyone else who supported me through this journey.”
Justin is an educator, consultant and wine judge based in Edinburgh. After studying for a music degree at Leeds University, followed by a brief stint as a classical musician, Justin joined the wine trade with Majestic in 2008. He worked across some of London’s busiest stores whilst studying for his WSET Level 3 certificate, for which he was awarded a distinction and the Cálem Port Award scholarship. Since 2010 Justin has been based in Scotland, studying the WSET diploma during his time at Majestic, and winning the Derouet Jameson Award Scholarship which set him on the road for MW studies.
In 2013 Justin established Lothian Wine School in Edinburgh, where he now works as head tutor teaching WSET courses, masterclasses and bespoke private events, as well as running a consultancy business and judging at various international wine competitions.
Justin will be invited with his family for a private visit to be presented the medal itself by Etienne Bizot, at the House of Champagne Bollinger in Aÿ.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
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 30 years.
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 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. There are 307 students from 36 countries in the 2022-23 MW study programme. The IMW works with 32 supporters and two academic and research 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.
Previous winners:
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
2017 – Jeremy Cukierman MW
2018 – Lindsay Pomeroy MW
2019 – Christine Marsiglio MW
2020 – Heidi Iren Hansen MW
2021 – Álvaro Ribalta MW
2022 – Justin Martindale MW
For further details, please contact:
Anna Woodbridge – 020 7840 3600 / annaw@mentzendorff.co.uk
Sarah Kirkpatrick – 020 7383 9131 / skirkpatrick@mastersofwine.org