Peter Scudamore-Smith Master of Wine

Peter Scudamore-Smith MW, founder and director of Uncorked and Cultivated, holds the prestigious Master of Wine award—recognised as the highest achievement in the global wine community—and is the second person in Australia to be awarded this honour. Those who have attained the qualification are equipped with a unique understanding of and set of skills for dealing with all aspects of the business of wine.

For more than 50 years the Institute of Masters of Wine has been promoting professional excellence and the highest educational standards in the art, science and business of wine: leading to the qualification of Master of Wine. From its beginnings in the British wine trade in 1955, the Institute’s membership now spans 25 countries while its education, examination and events programs are conducted annually on a worldwide basis.

Master of Wine is both a qualification and a title, usually abbreviated to the letters MW following a member's name. To use these letters an individual must have passed the Institute’s rigorous Masters of Wine examination, which tests their practical and theoretical understanding of the art, science and business of wine.

The Institute currently has 300 members around the world. These Masters of Wine are active in all aspects of the wine industry and include winemakers, importers, buyers, retailers, consultants, journalists, educators, sommeliers and senior executives.

What is a Master of Wine?
Strictly speaking, a Master of Wine (MW) is someone who has passed the rigorous Master of Wine examination and has signed and abides by the Code of Conduct of the Institute of Masters of Wine. More practically, they are someone who has achieved the highest level of wine trade education, who upholds professional excellence, and who has a proven set of problem solving skills that are specific to the wine industry.

How do I become a Master of Wine?
To become a Master of Wine, you need to have passed the examination, completed an original dissertation and have signed up to—and abided by—the Institute's Code of Conduct.

What are the benefits of being a Master of Wine?
Perhaps the most important is membership of the Institute itself: being part of the global community of Masters of Wine, each of whom has demonstrated the highest knowledge and ability in the art, science and business of wine. Masters of Wine are equipped with a unique range of practical and theoretical knowledge which enables them to work across all disciplines within the wine industry, from winemakers, oenologists and viticulturists through to shippers, retailers and writers.

© 2011 Institute of Masters of Wine