The IMW 2010/2011 academic year is under way! I met with three other students here in the Tirol this last weekend for tasting training. We did a blind tasting paper of 12 wines based on a past exam and tasted under exam conditions. I’ve sent my paper to my mentor with the request that he take a look at it and give me some suggestions for improvement. Our first theory assignment is due on December 7. I have chosen the topic: Examine the advantages and disadvantages of indigeous and cultured yeast in the production of wine.
I’ve been suffering a bout of insomnia lately, but finally had a good night’s sleep last night. this what I felt like this morning:
For the second year in a row, AXA Millésimes has offered a generous Scholarship for Institute Masters of Wine students in 2010. Applicants were requested to write up to 10000 words on a given topic. Five MW students won the scholarship which was a study trip to AXA Millésimes properties for the harvest of 2010. I was one of the lucky MW students that were awarded the scholarship!
In the hope that pictures speak a thousand words, here is a short slide presentation as an overview of a very enriching educational experience:
Reminiscing a bit and seeing parallels of my MW studies to the gymnastic trainings of my youth…
Dr. Wolfgang Hamm speaks to a group of students of the Institute Masters of Wine on carbon neutral wine production at the Stift Klosterneuburg winery in Austria.
The Napa Valley Vintners Association was the very generous sponsors for a spectacular tasting at the most recent course day for European students of the Institute Masters of Wine.
The course was conveniently held in Düsseldorf on the 23rd of March, making it quite opportune for many students who were attending the ProWein either as visitors or exhibitors. The morning was spent in mock exam conditions for a practical paper of 12 wines. The paper and the wines were then discussed in depth with Fergal Tynan MW and Frank Roeder MW who did quite a fine job of illuminating those of us still in the dark. They were quite motivating and able to give us useful tips on how to pass the tasting exams. The biggest challenge for most of us is simply getting the paper finished and if you don’t answer all the questions, your chances of passing are quite slim.
Our afternoon session was absolutely spectacular! Larry Stone Master Sommelier, the only American to have won the title of French Matre Sommelier from the Union de la Sommelerie Francaise, was our lecturer. Larry gave us an in-depth seminar on Napa Valley and led us through a tasting of truly exquisite wines from 14 of the 15 Napa Valley sub-appellations. In Larry’s two decades of experience as a wine educator and master sommelier in California, he has gained a reputation not only for his profound knowledge, but his ability to share it in a very unpretentious manner. He was incredibly generous with his knowledge and we had the opportunity to pick his brain for an entire 5 hours!
Here are my tasting notes from the afternoon tasting sponsored by the Napa Valley Vintners Association:
Saintsbury 2007, Pinot Noir, Los Caneros
Transparent ruby red. Dark cherry and plum fruit. Powerful 14.5% alcohol is not fully integrated and heats the finish. Liquorice and plenty of oak spice flavour loosely knit, velvety tannins. 89 points.
Cuvaison Estate 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Brandlin Vineyard, Mt. Veeder
Dark black red. Rich cassis with graphite and floral components. Abundant firm, velvety tannins. Muscular, very tightly knit. Very long mineral finish. 93 points.
Blackbird Vineyards 2006 Illustration Propriety Blend, Oak Knoll
Dark black red. Aromas and flavours of rich sweet vanilla, coffee and cassis with a hint of leather and dark spice. Plenty of supple, round tannin. Warming alcohol on the finish. 90 points.
Kapcsandy Family Vineyard 2006 State Lane Vineyard, Yountville
Dark dense black red. Blackberry and black currant with a hint of cedar. Soft and fleshy with medium high tannin content, velvety mouthfeel and nicely integrated acid. Rich plum fruit and liquorice t on the finish. 96 points.
Clos Du Val 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap
Very dark ruby Black currant and cayenne pepper comprise a very spicy nose. Rich fruit draped over a slightly stalky tannin spine and laced with pencil shavings and leather. Capsicum on the finish. 89 points.
BOND 2005 St. Eden Proprietary Blend, Oakville
Very pronounced, well-defined and focused cassis and black cherry fruit with hints of oleander and graphite. Boisterously fruit-driven, yet not over the top. Sweet and rather confectionary milk chocolate and blackberry liqueur remain long on the finish. This wine has a lot of everything, including 14.5% a.b.v. 94 points.
Rubicon Estate 2006 Proprietary Blend, Rutherford
Dark deep ruby. Dark forest berries, liquorice and chocolate with mineral firmness. Abundant fine-grained tannin, well-integrated alcohol and plenty of generous fruit. Black currants, blueberries, cedar and tobacco linger on the finish. 94 points.
Note to Francis Ford Coppola: This wine is packaged in an obnoxiously heavy bottle that requires a body-builder of a sommelier to pour and a million carbon footprints to produce and ship. What were you thinking? Such a sensitive wine and certified organic to boot and then this?
Salvestrin 2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Helena
Dark ruby. Rich ripe black cherry and cassis fruit. Smoky aromas like coffee and charred oak flavour abundant soft tannins. Black currant and cedar remain on the finish. 91 points.
Cain Vineyard & Winery 2005 Cain Five Proprietary Blend, Spring Mountain
Deep dark black. Black cherry, leather, and floral notes make a slightly exotic impression. Abundant very fine-grained tannins wrapped in rich glycerine-laced black fruit on the palate. Warming cassis liqueur and cardamom on the finish. 92 points
J. Davies Vineyards 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon, Diamond Mountain
Dark ruby with violet highlights. Intense yet elegant black currant and well-integrated alcohol. Medium full-bodied and very well-balanced with plenty of soft supple tannins and vibrant acid. Elderberry and spice linger deliciously long on the finish. 95points
Storybook Mountain Vineyards/Seps 2007 Estate Zinfandel, Calistoga
Transparent dark ruby-violet. Rich brambleberry fruit with vanilla, orange zest, and cinnamon spice. Medium full-bodied with fleshy tannins. Warm, dark-berry compote finish. 90 points
Viader Vineyards 2005 Proprietary Blend, Howell Mountain
Dark ruby. Discreet yet perfumed with floral components reminiscent of violets. A very fine-boned linear structure lends focused elegance to cassis jelly, raspberry and graphite. Abundant, extremely fine-grained tannin. The finish is discreet yet very long and persistent. 93 points
Brown Estate Vineyards 2008 Estate Zinfandel, Chiles Valley District
Transparent ruby-violet. Jammy blackberry fruit with coconut and tangerine flavour soft chewy tannins. Full-bodied and expressive with plenty of spicy rich fruit on the finish. 90 points
Antica Antinori Family Estate 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Single Vineyard, Atlas Peak
Dark youthful opaque ruby violet. Intense freshly roasted Arabica coffee beans on the nose. Lemony acid gives lift to crème de cassis fruit which is supported by fleshy tannins. Opulent fruit on the slightly warming finish. 91 points
The Institute Masters of Wine offers single-course days throughout the year for MW students. The European course days have historically all been held in London, often in rather tight quarters. Participants are always required to bring their own set of 12 glasses, a water cup and a spittoon. It is difficult and expensive for an MW student to get to these single-day courses in London for several reasons:
- Inexpensive flight usually fly to one of the periphery airports requiring about an hour’s travel from the airport to the course venue
- Flight times often make it necessary to stay at least one night in London
- A set of 12 wine glasses must be carried as hand baggage to avoid breakage which leaves little room for overnight necessities in the allowed carry-on piece for most airlines.
- Lunch is not provided at course days
- Hotel rooms in London rarely have a sink large enough to clean your wine glasses
- In the end it costs a continental student 2 ½ work days and 250-350 Euros to visit a course day in London.
For these reasons it was really great to have a course day in Düsseldorf. Many students were already present at the ProWein, either as exhibitors or professional visitors and thus travel expenses were not completely extra for the course day. The VDP invited students the evening before to a fine restaurant for dinner and a tasting of extraordinary German wines. In addition to this a very nice soup, sandwich, dessert and beverage buffet was provided for no extra cost at lunch on the seminar day. AND a set of 12 tasting glasses, a water glass and a spittoon were provided for each student. The entire organization of the Düsseldorf course day was superb and must be highly praised. Many, many thanks to all those who made it such a worthwhile learning experience!
Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family-owned winery and a supporter of the Institute Masters of Wine. The Yalumba Scholarship is awarded annually to one Europe or Americas-based, second-year MW student enrolled on the full education programme. This generous scholarship consists of:- * a return flight ticket on economy class to the MW seminar in Adelaide from a major city near the winner’s hometown;
- * accommodation for the duration of the MW seminar in Adelaide; and
- * a one-week visit to the Yalumba vineyard, nursery and winery in Angaston
Selection for the scholarship was in the form of an essay (1000 words in length, written in English). The essay topic was:
“There is no fundamental or systemic problem with the Australian wine sector; it is going through a cycle where after many years of popularity, other regions, countries or styles are garnering more interest from the gatekeepers”.
Discuss the validity of this statement and suggest ways to overcome the current problems facing the Australian Wine Industry in re-building the awareness of its regional and varietal diversity.
Fifth generation Yalumba Proprietor, Robert Hill Smith said, “On the ground experience is a crucial part of education for all wine enthusiasts. The winner will have the rare opportunity to work alongside our experienced viti and vini teams and have our wider resources at their disposal for the duration of their visit to the Barossa Valley. We look forward to receiving responses and anticipate that these will be both insightful and interesting – we are very pleased to offer this scholarship once again.”
About Yalumba:
Yalumba of today continues to remain fiercely independent and extremely progressive under the ownership of fifth generation Robert and Sam Hill Smith, sons of Wyndham and Helen Hill Smith and for almost 160 years, Yalumba has played a pivotal role in the Barossa, making wines that reflect the best of region.
Yalumba was founded by Dorset brewer Samuel Smith in 1849, who brought his family to Angaston seeking a new life. After purchasing a 30-acre parcel of land just beyond the village of Angaston, Smith and his son Sidney began planting the first vines by moonlight. Samuel named his patch “Yalumba” – Aboriginal for “all the land around.
It is not just Yalumba’s work with the Viognier grape variety that warrants its reputation as a pioneering company. Yalumba is the sole company in Australia to craft its own oak barrels. In addition to the cooperage, Yalumba counts a wine nursery among its prized assets, which enables the winemakers to have a significant input into grape quality from an early stage. Today, this viticultural nursery specialises at the high end of vine breeding, and has winery and winegrower clients across all states.
Yalumba has also been influential in its strong policies on recycling, making sure that every effort is made to certify that waste and water are recycled, as well as ensuring energy is saved and the general environmental impact of the winery is minimised.
As a result, Yalumba is the first winery in the world to receive the Climate Protection Award from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2007.
The Yalumba Scholarship Winner gains incredible insight and experience.
As the Yalumba Scholarship winner, I was taken into the Yalumba “family”. Yes, Yalumba is a big winery, but it is a family owned and operated winery. Yalumba is the owner of Negotiants, which in turn owns several other wineries. The Hill-Smith family places a lot of trust in their employees with key people being their own boss of an entire winery or department with direct contact to Robert Hill Smith. Kirsty Gosse acted as my personal host and assistant during my stay. She and everyone else made me feel very welcome and because all doors were open, I even got to see how problems were addressed and solved. Just a few of the highlights included:
- ‘White Wine Master Class’. Together with the entire staff of winemakers, I tasted through all 45 white and rosé wines. Each wine was accompanied by a complete spec sheet with all winemaking steps from picking criteria to packaging. Challenges and future prospects for each wine were discussed from production to packaging to its general concept and style.
- Nursury visit with Nick Dry and Tim Jones for a tour and Syrah clonal tasting
- Tour of the Yalumba Single Site vineyards with Robin Nettlebeck
- Tour of the Heggies and Pewsey Vale Vineyards with Heggies winemaker Peter Gambetta followed by a gorgeous outdoor tasting
- Tour of the Yalumba Cooperage, winery & Museum with Peter Gambetta
- Tasting with Natalie Fryar, winemaker at Jansz. Great insights to sparkling winemaking as well as Pinot Noir
- Environmental discussion with Cecil Camilleri & Andrew Murphy. This was very informative. We took a look at the Life Cycle Analysis of the entire Yalumba operations and what Yalumba was doing to be carbon negative and give back to the environment
- Rare & Fine tasting with Kevin Glastonbury looking at Yalumba’s commitment to the Cabernet Shiraz blend
- Research and Development discussion with Ian Codrington at the Angaston Lab.
- Marketing discussion of Negotiants International with Scott Washington
- Tour and tasting at Henschke Wines – tasting Hill of Grace in the Hill of Grace!
- Discussion about emarketing with Tony Bogar
- Discussion of the history and tradition of Yalumba with Brian Walsh
- Trip out to visit Oxford Landing Estate Winery with Jane Ferrari and discussions with winemaker Matt Pick and vineyard manager Robert Strachan.
- Viognier Breakfast and tasting with Louisa Rose at Percy’s
- Chardonnay blending and tasting with Teresa Heuzzenroeder and Louisa Rose
It was an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience and I am incredibly grateful to the Hill-Smith family and the entire family of Yalumba employees for their incredible hospitality and generous sharing of their knowledge and experience.
Roman Horvath MW, one of this year’s 8 new Masters of Wine and Austria’s second to receive this title shall speak this weekend at the WSET Diploma graduation of the Austrian Wine Academy. In his speech, Roman would like to motivate graduates to continue their academic ventures with studies at the Institute Master of Wine.
During Roman’s preparation for his speech we spoke on the telephone about my own motivations as a current student in the Institute Masters of Wine program. I began the program two years ago and to tell you the truth, I didn’t really realize into exactly what I was getting.
It is a rigorous program with a steep learning curve. Discipline is a prerequisite. A well-defined syllabus is at hand; study occurs upon self initiative.
The most desirable qualification to enter the MW student program is excellence in the Wine Spirit and Education Trust diploma. With or without this qualification, anyone desiring to become a MW candidate may apply. A passing note for a single essay to a specific theme gains entrance to open your hopefully-well-padded wallet for the yearly tuition of € 2700 excluding travel costs and books, publications, necessary travel studies, wine tastings, time off from work etc. A realistic estimation for study costs per year begin at €10,000.
Hopefully you work for a merchant or marketing body with a generous budget that will lend sponsorship. I don’t. On the one side, as a free-lance wine writer/critic/educator, I can choose to write and teach about subjects in which I need to deepen my knowledge. This works to a certain extent, but unfortunately consumer magazines (for which I predominantly write) do not find articles about cation exchange capacity of soils or teasing with sulphides on the edge of acceptable limits during vinification and maturation very exciting or sexy.
Forgive me. I am digressing. Why am I doing this? Why do love being a MW student? Quite honestly, it has enriched my life, both professionally and privately. I have learned tremendously thus far. I have learned not only from MWs, but also from fellow students as well as professionals in the trade. I’ve become a better listener. I’m gaining a broader, more international view and I’m thinking about things that matter to me like environmental issues, social responsibility, and sustainability and taking responsibility for making a positive difference. I do hope to achieve the MW title, but even if I do not succeed, I am sure that I will not regret all the effort and all the friends and contacts that I am making along the way. The international networking is fantastic!
About the Institute of Masters of Wine:
The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW) is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to promoting excellence in the wine trade. It was founded in 1955.
The IMW has 279 members (MWs), based in 23 countries.
The IMW’s education programme encourages a cross-disciplinary approach to understanding wine and communicating that knowledge at the highest level. The IMW holds annual study seminars in Napa Valley, USA; Adelaide, Australia; and Rust, Austria.
The annual examinations take place in London, Napa and Sydney, over a four-day period. There are three practical papers, each with 12 wines. Candidates are required to blind taste and identify wines of varying quality levels and origins. In four theory papers, candidates need to demonstrate, through essays, a knowledge of a wide range of subjects, including winemaking, grape growing, business and social issues. Students also write a 10,000-word dissertation on a subject of their choice.
In 2009, one-third of the students who sat the Examination were not native English speakers.
The IMW also organises events of professional interest to the global wine trade, including an international symposium every four years. The next symposium, Forging Links, takes place from 24 to 27 June 2010 in Bordeaux; see http://www.mwsymposium.com/.
More information about the Institute and its activities, including full biographies and contact details of members, can be found at http://www.mastersofwine.org/