Thanks for the link. It is interesting and dizzying at the same time. No wonder they call it the “PhD of wine.” I know people who really revere the degree and I also know people who denigrate it as making something visceral like wine, too intellectual. Its interesting–I’ve always respected people I’ve known who had the MW–but my God. Doing everything it takes to pass that test is almost superhuman.
The business of wine is an absolute componnent of the MW. Writing for 3 hours in one day is difficult doing it 3 days in a row is down right torture. Someone somewhere on the net desribed the MW as a trivia contest. I think not!!
The wine aspect intrigues me (8 rieslings), I know one who took it many year ago, I believe had 8 burgs to identify. WSET diploma only hits you with 2 flights of 3 wines at a time.
I agree, but I still see very little “proof” that the MW is worth pursuing except for personal accomplishment. It certainly doesn’t guarantee a paycheck, nor do I see many MWs posting here among the actual wine experts!
Remember that it’s not a US certification but a UK one. The same diploma “invented” and marketed by Americans and it would be like, you know, the best thing EVER!
It’s the old cliche of why do you climb the mountain. Because it’s there.
Even if one does not make it all the way to the top the journey in and of itself is worth the effort for some. I have friends who tried and eventyually were kicked out but they still feel it was worth all the studying ang tasting. You’ still learn a tremdous amount in the program.
I worked for an MW a while back. He was at the time, although may no longer be, the only Viticulturist MW.
I have the utmost respect for anyone who passes the test; doing MW-style tasting with my group certainly humbles one. To have to do it on the spot instead of in an informal setting with friends would only add to the pressure-cooker.
One thing that can’t be discounted in getting there is the financial aspect associated with the studying: not only both acquiring the wines one must be familiar with and tasting them constantly, but also the travel. I would agree that it is a “because it was there” situation that probably doesn’t guarantee a huge paycheck (although I would think it certainly helps one advance to the next level), but I certainly tip my hat to anyone with the gumption and ability to get all the way through.
You nailed it Nate, Time and money are limitations that sometime can’t be overcome. A fulltime non-wine related job made it next it to impossible and my wife made sure it stayed that way. And if I was crazy, lucky and dilligent enough what was I going to do with it. [nea.gif]
As far as I understand they require a prospective student to have a lot of experience in the wine business already, and to keep working while studying, so I always thought the access to the required wines and so on would be via the trade (trade tastings and visits and trips and so on). And also as far as I understand there aren’t many unemployed MWs in the UK.
And by the way what is a “viticulturist”? Oivier Zind-Humbrecht probably qualifies as one?
Trade tastings offer some exposure, but the folks I know who are serious about pursuing the qualification feel it is most important to taste in the test format, and thus form groups that share the cost of the wines and taste in that manner either weekly or every other week. They also seem to think unanimously that it is imperative to travel to at the very least the main regions to really immerse oneself in the styles producers, geography, etc. I can’t say for sure, but they all make it sound as though they got this impression both from the governing body and qualified MWs. For all of them, especially those in the supply side of the business (grapegrowers and winemakers in addition to winery sales managers and reps & marketers), it will wind up being a very expensive and long proposition almost entirely on their own dime. I’d imagine those in the front end of the business might get slightly more help, but I don’t see distributorships or retail chains falling over themselves to sponsor employees’ pursuit of this.
A viticulturist, as it is used in the US, is (generally) a liason between farmer and enologist when the operation is large enough that the two are not one and the same. The skill set and responsibilities will vary between estate wineries and those using contract growers, but irrigation, disease & crop assessments, along with maturity assessments, among other things, and how they ultimately relate to wine quality are the typical duties. In essence, it is a person who is intimately involved in farming vineyards, but always thinks in terms of how their decisions relate to wine quality and must have more than a rudimentary understanding of both fields.
This fellow was in NZ, though. He described himself as the “only strict viticulturist in the world with MW certification”. I never really had the desire to get into the pedantry of his CV and the list of other MWs out there, so I presume he did his homework before declaring himself that.
As to unemployed MWs in the UK, I’m not sure how that relates to the discussion? I think most everyone here agrees that it is an incredible accomplishment and worthy of our (as wine geeks) respect and awe. As I said, it certainly helps people advance their careers, but only after a long, arduous path. I’m not sure anyone insinuated that someone with such a distinction would have trouble finding a job?