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At the end of January nine Master of Wine students from seven countries went to Neustadt to prepare for the theory examination scheduled for June this year.

Wines of Germany (DWI) and the Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) jointly drew up this preparation programme for Master of Wine students aiming to pass the Master of Wine theory examinations. Besides the seminar days held in the historic city museum located in villa Böhm, students also benefitted from a broad accompanying programme, for example in collaboration with the Generation Riesling initiative. The highlight of the stay and a special honour for the international students was the invitation by the town of Neustadt to a gala evening in the Hambach Castle.

"Wine experts permitted to use the title 'Master of Wine' are most influential opinion makers. Shortly before the exams, our support helps to raise awareness about the particularities and the great variety of German wines and position Germany as a premium wine country," says Monika Reule, CEO of the German Wine Institute.
First reactions of some seminar participants show that the image building efforts are successful: "I drank outstanding wines and I was introduced to a wonderful region," says Lin Lui who is currently working for a Chinese wine importer in France. And her colleague Annette Lacey, Director Food and Beverage with an Australian restaurant group, adds: "I came with high expectations. They were exceeded."

Information on The Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW):
The Masters of Wine title, first granted in 1953, is one of the most respected and prestigious qualifications in the world of wine. There are currently only 369 Masters of Wine throughout the world. And there are over 320 students from 40 countries in the MW Study Programme at present. They hope to attain the coveted MW title in the coming years.
To become a Master of Wine, students need to pass all three stages of the Study Programme; the stage 1 assessment as an intermediate examination after the end of first year's studies, the stage 2 MW theory and practical examinations that last several days and the final stage 3 which requires students to write a research paper as part of the MW examination.

To date, nine wine professionals from Germany have been named Masters of Wine:
• Konstantin Baum
• Markus del Monego
• Romana Echensperger
• Alison Flemming
• Anne Krebiehl
• Caro Maurer
• Frank Röder
• Janek Schumann
• Jürgen von der Mark.