Mark Andrew is based in central London, where he is co-founder of Noble Rot magazine and the wine bar/restaurant of the same name.
Before launching Noble Rot, he was head buyer at London-based retailer and importer Roberson Wine for eight years.Prior to that, there was a vintage in Burgundy and three years of running the wine programme for a group of London restaurants.
His research paper was: How can dry Assyrtiko from Santorini establish itself as a recognised 'fine wine' in the eyes of London's premium on-trade?
Cukierman was born and raised in Paris. Co-founder and co-CEO of Des Mets des Vins, Cukierman runs two wine shops in Paris, a wine event agency and a wine school. He also consults for private customers and wine companies, lectures across all levels of WSET certification and trains future wine professionals. He is writing for the French magazine Vigneron and for his own blog (www.intothewinewithjeremy.com). He loves Northern Rhône, Burgundy, Riesling, Italian and fortified wines.
His research paper was: The prospects for Syrah in the vineyards of Hermitage: A climate assessment in the Northern Rhône AOP
Dawson learned about wine as a hobby but this changed after she took started working in Sainsbury’s supermarket. While completing her WSET diploma she joined its wine department. She was awarded two scholarships from WSET during these studies; the Champagne Academy scholarship and Worshipful Company of Distiller’s scholarship.
She also started to run a new type of wine tasting called the ‘Naked Grape’ for charity. She then joined Marks & Spencer and was offered the WSET Derouet Jameson scholarship to study on the Master of Wine Study Programme. She has focused on lesser known wine regions, bringing new wines to their range from; Greece, Lebanon, Israel, Georgia, Turkey, Bolivia, Japan, India and Brazil. She also buys Burgundy, Bordeaux, Italy, South America and Fine Wine for the company.
Her research paper: How did Lebanese wine emerge as a territorial wine brand in the 25 years that followed the civil war ending in 1990? Mistakes made and lessons learnt
Forer a San Francisco resident, was “catalysed” by passing the WSET Diploma with Merit in 2011, Forer has become increasingly active in the wine industry through projects like consulting for on-premise wine programmes, creating exclusive tours of Napa and providing advice on grocery store wines as founder of DaveTheNeighbor.com. He is working on a book about cult wines of the world all while maintaining a full time career in the pharmaceutical research industry.
His research paper: An analysis of the impact of declining farm labour immigration on vineyard operations in Sonoma and Napa counties over the last decade
The new members have proved their understanding of all aspects of wine by passing the MW exam, recognised worldwide for its rigour and high standards. The MW exam consists of three stages, including theory and practical exams, and culminates in the submission of a final research paper, an in-depth study on a wine related topic from any area of the sciences, arts, humanities, or social sciences.
In addition to passing the exam, all MWs are required to sign the code of conduct before they are entitled to use the initials MW. The code requires MWs to act with honesty and integrity, and use every opportunity to share their understanding of wine with others.
There are currently 356 MWs today, working in 29 countries. The membership encompasses winemakers, buyers, journalists, shippers, business owners, consultants, academics, and wine educators. There are more than 340 students in the MW study programme from 40 countries.
