Master of Wine case studies
Master of Wine · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Master of Wine (MW) is a professional credential in the wine trade, awarded through the Master of Wine Examination administered by the Institute of Masters of Wine. Historically the Examination had three parts, and the third was the Dissertation: an independent piece of original research submitted by candidates who had already progressed through the earlier stages. The Master of Wine case studies are 5 cases and about 3,431 words.
1Three Soils, One Vintage: A Terroir Dissertation Under Budget
A Master of Wine candidate has 12 weeks and a £4,000 budget to test whether soil type shapes the sensory profile of Riesling. A single commercial estate offers three adjacent parcels on slate, loam and limestone, each about 0.4 ha.
725 words, about 4 min2Closure Trial in a Wine Bar: Consumer Preference and Alcohol
A candidate wants to know whether closure type affects consumer perception of reduction in Sauvignon Blanc. Over two evenings in a London wine bar, 120 patrons are recruited opportunistically as they order.
671 words, about 3 min3Phylloxera in the Archive: Missing Records and Conflicting Dates
A Master of Wine dissertation examines how the nursery trade shaped the spread of phylloxera in a Spanish province between 1875 and 1900. The candidate has three weeks of archive access and four months to write.
695 words, about 3 min4Irrigation Trial with a Soil Gradient: Replication or Pseudoreplication?
A viticulture dissertation tests three irrigation regimes - 100%, 70% and 40% of crop evapotranspiration - on two clones of Cabernet Sauvignon in a 1.2 ha block. Each treatment is assigned in strips across the rows, with four plots per treatment and 20 vines per plot.
683 words, about 3 min5Survey of Sulfite Attitudes: 18% Response and a Funded Chair
A candidate surveys 600 wine professionals about sulfite limits, recruiting through LinkedIn and two trade newsletters. After six weeks, 108 responses (18%) are received.
657 words, about 3 min