Diary of an MW student – part 18

With six months to go until my MW examinations (aaaaaaargh!) I have scheduled plenty of studying into the first half of next year’s calendar. Most is done from home, currently in the form of an hour every weekday morning, plus one full week day. Other forms include the Institute of Masters of Wine’s compulsory content, such as the week of seminars and tastings in Bordeaux in February; intermittent one-to-one sessions with my mentor; occasional group tastings with my fellow MW students; and an informal essay exchange scheme I am in with three fellow wannabe MWs.

Judging and being judged by...