CLASS OF 2O13 MASTERS OF WINE

THE WINE WORLD has eight new Masters of Wine, two of whom work in the US and six in the UK.  Each of them has successfully passed all three parts of the Master of Wine examination, which consists of theory and practical papers followed by a dissertation.  The announcement brings the total number of Masters of Wine to 312 in 24 countries.  Dilek Caner, the first-ever Turkish MW, is a full-time wine educator in Dallas, Texas.  She previously worked at WINE & SPIRITS MAGAZINE and was a sommelier at Restaurant Alain Ducasse.  California-based Amy Christine, MW works for Kermit Lynch, a Burgundy and Bordeaux wine importer in Berkeley.  Christine also owns and operates artisanal winery Black Sheep Finds with her husband, Peter Hunken.  On the other side of the Atlantic, Britain’s oldest wine and spirit merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd, counted two members of staff among this year’s new Masters of Wine.  Anne McHale, MW and Demetri Walters, MW bring the count at BBR to eight.  McHale works for Berry’s as a wine educator.  She also hosts educational tastings and dinners in the company’s 3OO-year-old cellars.  The Circle of Wine Writers made her its Young Wine Writer of the Year in 2O1O.  Walters is sales manager for private wine events.  He is half Cypriot by origin and wrote his dissertation on the export prospects for wine from Cyprus. 

Still in the UK, James Davis, MW is the senior buyer for retailer and brewer Greene King, which operates more than 2OOO restaurants, pubs and bars around the country.  Davis is joined by Barry Dick, MW, who is currently the wine development director for Accolade Wines.  Dick, from Northern Ireland, studied oenology at the University of Adelaide, Australia.  He has worked as a winemaker there, as well as in France, Spain and California.  Matthew Hemming, MW is fine wine manager at Averys Wine Merchants in Bristol, which he joined straight from university in 2OO2.  Last is Jon Pepper, MW the managing director of UK importer Buckingham Schenk, where he has worked on developing Argentine brand Viñalba, launching the company’s new on-trade portfolio, and bringing pre-packed goblet brand Intrepid Fox to market.  He joined the wine trade in 2OO6 after a career in marketing luxury goods.  Alison Eisermann Ctercteko, MW (AUS), Eric Hemer, MW (US) and Adam Lapierre, MW (US) became Masters of Wine in May, bringing the total for 2O13 to 11 new members.