Justin Martindale MW and Jonny Orton MW are both based in the United Kingdom, Justin in Scotland and Jonny in England. There are now 420 MWs globally – 269 men and 151 women living or working in 30 countries. Since the first exam in 1953, 498 people have become an MW. Below are the biographies supplied by the Institute.
Justin Martindale MW (UK – Scotland)
Justin is an educator, consultant and wine judge based in Edinburgh. After studying a music degree at Leeds University, followed by a brief stint as a classical musician, Justin joined the wine trade with Majestic in 2008. He worked across some of London’s busiest stores whilst studying the 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, where he studied the WSET diploma, winning the Derouet Jameson Award, which led to the MW study programme. In 2013 Justin established Lothian Wine School in Edinburgh. He now teaches WSET courses, masterclasses and bespoke private events at the school, runs a consultancy business, and judges at various international wine competitions.
Research paper: The evolving language of minerality in wine tasting: A case study of Decanter tasting notes 1976–2019.
Jonny Orton MW (UK – England)
After reading Chemistry at university and pursuing a career in financial services, Jonny discovered his passion for wine on the shelves of a French supermarket in 2014. Formal wine studies started shortly after that and have continued with abandon. Jonny currently balances interests in finance and wine, bridging the two with his MW research paper on the nuances of fine wine investment. In addition, he provides fine wine consulting and tastings and loves to pair wine and surf destinations wherever possible.
Research paper: How do the mechanics of investing in fine wine impact its viability as an alternative asset class?
