Five new Masters of Wine announced

There are now 343 Masters of Wine around the world after five more students passed the rigorous entrance exams for the exclusive club.

The Institute of Masters of Wine announced five new members on 29 February.

They include a winemaker, two wine buyers, a marketing manager and the owner of a hospitality training business, it said.

The new Masters of Wine are:

Ivan Barbic MW (Switzerland)
Eran Pick MW (Israel)
Jan Schwarzenbach MW (Switzerland)
Lenka Sedlackova MW (Czech Republic, currently based
in the UK)
Stephen Wong MW (Malaysia, now living in New Zealand)

MW hopefules must complete both theory and practical Exams before submitting a final research paper on a wine topic of their choice.

It is notoriously difficult to pass, but that does not appear to deter applicants. The institute said that 74 students from 14 countries were accepted on to stage one of the programme in September 2015.

The new Masters of Wine (MWs) announced this week:

Ivan Barbic MW: born in Croatia but grew up in Switzerland and graduated as a food technology engineer at ETH Zurich, with a diploma thesis in wine flavour analysis. He is currently strategic buyer for importer Bataillard.

Research Paper: An assessment of the sensorial, economic and analytical impacts of fining agents without allergen compounds on a commercially important red wine on the Swiss market.

Jan Schwarzenbach MW: Studied viticulture at Charles Sturt university and oenology in Adelaide, Australia, before working in wineries in both Australia and Switzerland. More recently, he spent several years teaching at the WSET accredited Académie du Vin in Switzerland, and is currently head of en primeur buying for Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhône at the Co-op retailer in the country.

Research Paper: Buying behaviour of multi-channel retail wine consumers in Switzerland in store and online using the market leader Coop as an example

Lenka Sedlackova MW: Born and raised in Czech Republic but lives in the UK and currently works as marketing manager for renowned UK importer Fields, Morris and Verdin – part of Berry Bros & Rudd. She has a particular passion for Spanish wines.

Research Paper: An evaluation of the market position of Reserva and Gran

Reserva Cava in the London on and off-trade

Eran Pick MW: Born in Kfar Sava, Israel, and today lives in Tel Aviv. He learned about winemaking in the vineyards of Napa, Sonoma, Barossa and Bordeaux, and graduated from UC Davis with a BS in viticulture and oenology in 2006. He now works for Tzora Vineyards in Israel.

Research paper: The Quantification of the Variability of Meso climates among Important Vineyard Regions in Israel

Stephen Wong MW: Malaysian born Chinese, who originally studied law at the University of Otago in New Zealand. Despite completing his barrister exams in Wellington, Wong took a job as a sommelier and, after seven years, began a consulting role. He now runs a small hospitality education and support business based in Wellington, named Wine Sentience, training staff and managing wine lists.

Research Paper: The coincidence of a global financial crisis and oversupply an analysis of Marlborough’s controversial 2008 vintage and its consequences