Justin was announced as winner by Alan Montague-Dennis, director of prestige sales for Bollinger’s UK importer, Mentzendorff, on behalf of Etienne Bizot, the chairman of the Madame Bollinger Foundation and also president of Groupe Bollinger at the annual IMW awards ceremony held at Vintners’ Hall in London.
Etienne Bizot, great-nephew of Madame Bollinger, said: “The Madame Bollinger Foundation was launched by my father, Christian Bizot, at Vintners Hall in 1988 aiming to foster quality, education and ethics in all matters relating to wine at an international level. The Institute of Masters of Wine is without question the global reference in the pursuit of wine excellence in education and I am therefore delighted to award the 2022 Madame Bollinger Medal to Justin for this great achievement.”
This year marks the 34th occasion that the Madame Bollinger Medal has been presented since its inauguration in 1988.
Upon being presented with the award, Justin Martindale MW said: “I'm absolutely delighted to have won this coveted award and hugely grateful to Champagne Bollinger for their generosity and support. I'm very proud to follow in the footsteps of so many other illustrious MWs who have won this award before me. I owe a huge thanks to the IMW and everyone else who supported me through this journey.”
Martindale is an educator, consultant and wine judge based in Edinburgh, he has a background in music before joining the wine trade with Majestic in 2008. He worked across some of London’s busiest stores whilst studying for his WSET Level 3 certificate, for which he was awarded a distinction and the Cálem Port Award scholarship.
Since 2010 Justin has been based in Scotland, winning the Derouet Jameson Award Scholarship which set him on the road for MW studies. In 2013 Martindale established Lothian Wine School in Edinburgh, where he now works as head tutor teaching WSET courses, masterclasses and bespoke private events, as well as running a consultancy business and judging at various international wine competitions.
Martindale will be invited with his family for a private visit to be presented the medal itself by Etienne Bizot, at the House of Champagne Bollinger in Aÿ, France.
