COLUMN // Annette Lacey
A decade-long dream realised The sommelier on becoming a Master of Wine in 2020. WORDS Annette Lacey PHOTOGRAPHY Steven Woodburn MY FIRST TASTE of MV Krug was
I could succeed. Known as the
research paper on a topic of your
time away from family, missing
a taste-defining moment on my
pinnacle of wine knowledge, I
choice must be completed. My
out on socialising due to study
wine journey. For the first time, I
wanted to push myself as far as
paper was titled An Investigation
deadlines and the exam failures
understood wine had dimension,
I could. The MW is an extremely
into Whether the Tasmanian GI
are not remembered fondly. The
layers of flavour and complexity,
challenging course that requires
should be Subdivided. This was
dedication and sacrifice got
and I was hooked. It changed
discipline, rigour, self-motivation
the final hurdle, and I passed the
me to where I am today, and
my direction in hospitality
and the ability to pick yourself
section in September 2020.
the knowledge learned whether
from a restaurant manager
up when you fail. The course,
to a sommelier. The natural
in its entirety, took me 10 years
The MW has dominated my life
away from you. Professionally,
progression was to educate
from start to finish, as I was not
for the past 10 years, but it was
it has helped enormously in my
myself by furthering my studies;
successful and had to resit the
an amazing time looking back.
career, my confidence and the
the world of wine was immense
exam process numerous times.
There were many positives such
industry contacts made.
and I wanted to learn everything I
The exam consists of 36 blind
as the people I met — many now
possibly could.
wines and 13 essays over four
are great friends — the wines
world today, with 28 in Australia,
days. Once the section is passed
tasted and the wine regions
and I feel extremely proud to
successfully, a 10,000-word
of the world I visited. However,
be part of a select group. It
I started the Wine and Spirit Education Trust courses from
you pass or fail cannot be taken
Intermediate through to Diploma and then made the decision
is now my turn to give back
to attempt the Master of Wine
The knowledge learned whether you pass
(MW). I knew it was a daunting
or fail cannot be taken away from you.
process, but I wanted to see if 10 | Hospitality
There are 409 MW’s in the
to wine-passionate people wishing to embark on the MW, to mentor and help them on their own journey. ■
