2026 Master of Wine Exam Paper 1

 

I have probably explained this in the past, but to anyone that is reading this blog for the first time, here's the game.  The exam has two parts, tasting and theory.  Theory is a bunch of essays across five topic areas where you have about an hour per question to write a 1200 word essay in the voice of an English university student that follows the accepted structure.  Those are three hours and three questions per session.  You've got to know just enough about things like irrigation, plant diseases, oxygen management in winemaking, maceration, how bulk shipping and bottling lines work, international exports, prohibition efforts, organics, and that kind of stuff to produce 6 paragraphs that appear to demonstrate that you know what you are talking about.  The tasting exam is what interests everyone though.  It's three consecutive days starting at 10:00am where you have two hours and fifteen minutes to identify and analyze 12 wines sitting in front of you and write extensive answers in a very strict fashion that also suggest you know what's up.  You have to write something like "the wine is low alcohol and has high acid so it's from a cool region.  It has very mineral driven midpalate and is savory on the finish as opposed to primary fruit driven pointing to European origin.  It's high quality (intense acid, long finish, green apple fruit purity) pointing to a premium region.  Rounded creamy midpalate points to malolactic suggesting chardonnay.  Considered Chablis, Beaune, and Pfalz.  It's Chablis because of blah blah blah and not the other two because of blah blah blah."  You get the basic idea. 

It works out that you have about two minutes per wine to figure out what it is via tasting it and nine minutes per wine to write your explanation about whatever has been asked regarding grapes used, origin, quality level, how you'd sell it, and God knows what else.  What you are hoping for is to get the wines in front of you, give them a quick sniff and think "OK, those first three are sauvignon blanc, a pair of neutral whites, three rieslings, and four stand alone fucked up wines down the stretch.  I can deal with this."  The worst case scenario is you quickly nose the wines and think "those all smell vaguely like apples.  I have no idea what those are...".  If you need to really dig in and have to deductively figure out what each one could be, it takes too much time.  This means your written answers are going to probably suck and you'll fail.  However, despite being consistently told that this is NOT a wine identification exam, if you don't get close to the wine's true identity, your other answers will be wrong.  For example, I've written answers on how what I thought was an unoaked New World chardonnay that needed to be sold at cheap little sit down joints, grocery stores, and bars turn out to be a $50 premier cru Chablis that is going to be sold at snotty wine shops, expensive seafood restaurant lists, and online to geeks like me willing to pay the toll.  That miss of the identity technically would cost me let's say the 10 points on the origin question, but it will also kill me for another 15 in the commercial question on the back end too.  The exam is a real fucker.

This is my second attempt at passing the Stage 2 exam.  There were only 30 of us sitting the exam in Napa, a much smaller group than I expected.  It seemed like there were more last year, but it's the same room, so it must be about the same sized group.  There are a couple people I know taking their third and probably final crack at it this time, and those two are in very different head spaces.  One of them is loose as can be, and he seemingly gives zero shits if he passes.  Don't get me wrong.  He's going to try as hard as he can, but the program has sort of ground him down over time.  He wants to pass tasting just to see if he can do it.  Now, the other guy is tight as can be.  He has some professional stake in the game as his Corporate Overlords have funded much of this pursuit and have expectations of some sort of payoff for the company at the other end.  If he doesn't get past it on this attempt, he gets excommunicated from the program and would have to sit out for two years and then re-apply.  Do not pass go.  Go back to start.  Ouch.

I am sick of waiting to take it again, and just want to get this over with.  I don't have imposter syndrome at this point.  My issue on tasting is my variability.  On any given day, I'm pretty good.  I can sit there some days, and it's "see ball, hit ball".  However, on other days I can miss classic wines without any real explanation.  "That's a Mosel riesling!"  No sir, that's a Chablis.  "Fuck.  Is Wine 2 a Russian River chardonnay?"  No sir, that's an assyrtiko from Santorini.  "Fuck".  I just keep trying to do good reps for training and stick to following the structure and character of the fruit.  I just try to keep getting better.  I just don't know if I am accomplishing that task.  I am hoping to have a test today with classic regions and readily identifiable wine styles as opposed to a bunch of neutral Italian white wine bullshit.  That's the thing.  You never know.

The wines get passed left to right and we all self-pour our glasses.  The woman to my left is someone I don't know.  She seems pretty tense.  I am sitting in the very front right corner of the room, just in front of the official clock.  I prefer sitting in the back, but at least being in the corner is better than in the middle regarding potential distractions.  When I was at seminar this year there was someone that did these performative "SCHLEEK!  SCHLEEK!  SCHLEEK! SCHLEEK!" with each wine that drove me crazy.  The exam is hard enough without having your head say "what is with that dude over there?".   

We sit with the wines in front of us, 12 wines all about the same color except two in the middle which are very clear.  I think about possibly starting there as those will be some sort of high acid wine that can help set my palate.  It depends how the exam is laid out.  The start of the exam is like on of those F1 races where you're in your car waiting to jam on the gas and need the lights to click across the starter's block as the signal to GO.  As always, someone has a computer issue that holds us up.  Come ONNNNNN....  Let's go let's go let's go.  BEGIN.  I tear open the packet and scope out the questions.  

Question 1

Wines 1-6 are from the same single grape variety and come from five different countries.

For each wine:

a) Identify the origin as closely as possible. (6 x 10 marks)

b) Discuss how winemaking has influenced the wine’s style. (6 x 10 marks)

c) Comment on the commercial position. (6 x 5 marks)

This is most likely a big group of chardonnay as there aren't many grapes that are made in a noteworthy way across five countries.  If the people that wrote up the test were complete dicks, it could be riesling, sauvignon blanc or maybe pinot gris, but that doesn't seem likely.  I nose the wines hoping to smell apples and oak, which I do.  OK, these are chardonnay.  I'll come back to these in a minute.  Let's check out the light colored ones.

Question 2

Wines 7-9 are from the same single variety and come from three different countries.

With reference to all three wines:

a) Identify the grape variety. (15 marks)

For each wine:

b) Discuss the quality in the context of its region of origin. (3 x 15 marks)

c) Comment on the wine’s maturity. (3 x 5 marks)  

Wine 7 isn't giving me much aromatics.  It's like a crisp citrus/wet stone thing which is a little surprising.  Even more surprising is how dead aromatically Wine 8 is with a cardboardy vibe.  Is that oak?  What is this?  Wine 9 though soars out of the glass and smells like flowers and citrus candy.  That's what I was looking for on this.  It's light bodied and absolutely devastating acid.  This could only be riesling.  Wine 9 is almost green it's so pale.  Super reductive and severe with moderate alcohol.  This is Germany or Australia.  I move back to Wine 7 and find it more broad on the palate with green apple/lemon rind.  It's bone dry, Old World and ABV is sitting about 12.5%.  This is Alsace or maybe some German dry style.  Austria would have more alcohol and have that phenolic pinch on it.  Wine 8 is really weird.  It's severe and lacks any sort of lifted fruit.  This is the unsmiling black turtleneck wine of the group, VERY Teutonic.  13% alcohol I'm thinking, maybe 13.5.  I am taking this to Austria with the alcohol, bitter edges and lackluster fruit character.

My answers

Wine 7 Alsace high quality single vineyard  

Wine 8 Austria Wachau Federspiel 

Wine 9 Rheingau, Germany trocken  

Actual Answers

7. Riesling Federspiel Bruck, Domäne Wachau, 2020. Wachau, Austria. (12.5%) 

8. Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile, Trimbach, 2017. Alsace, France. (13.5%) 

9. Riesling, Pewsey Vale, 2024. Eden Valley, South Australia. (11.5%)

I decide to tackle the chardonnay flight of six next.  If I am not careful this flight could eat up all my time.  The margins on determining if a chardonnay is from a premium region like Margaret River/Marlborough/Burgundy/California Coast/Elgin is razor thin.  On top of this is the winemaker imprint on style with harvest timing, fermentation vessel, lees protocol, and aging regimen can be arguably more impactful than primary fruit character when determining origin.  You have to figure out what the fruit is telling you and sift it out from what the winemaker did.  Origin questions are basically about climate impact with some winemaking norms used as confirmations.   There are ten points per wine on winemaking method impacting the style of the wine so I will need to note these elements as I taste across these.  It's six wines with five countries, so there is probably a pair from France or maybe a pair from a New World country like USA or Australia that does premium/high volume cheapie wines.  The exam rests on how I handle these wines.  These are going to be bastards.  OK, let's go.      

Wine 1 is really high quality.  Integrated oak lifted up with some acid and a lemony flavor profile.  This is either pretty good Burgundy from some village around Beaune or a premier cru from somewhere south like Mercurey.  I'll keep going before I write it though.  Maybe something will scream "Burgundy" even louder.  Wine 2 is really high quality.  Definitely barrel fermented with this level of oak integration.  Maybe this is the really good Burgundy.  Wait... Wait... Whenever I taste what I think is a really good Burgundy, it turns out to be Margaret River chardonnay.  Yeah, this is richer than the last one.  It's fruity and not savory.  14% ABV?  This is really good Oz chardonnay I'm thinking.   OK, feeling good.  Wine 3 is brighter and more lifted than wine 2.  What the hell is this?  It's New World for sure.  Fruit forward.  Maybe this is Australia?  Maybe New Zealand?  California Coast like Santa Barbara?  Fuck, I don't know.  I'm going to keep going.  Wine 4 is really pale, almost green.  This must be the Chablis, no?  It's Old World and cool climate due to the medium+ acid and crisp body.  It's all steel tank for sure.  It's got to be Chablis but it sorta doesn't feel Chablis.  Look, there's no way I am going to take an Old World steel tank chardonnay that is about 12% ABV any other place than Chablis.  That would be stupid.  I'm not writing Germany on this or Austria.  It's not great so maybe Village level?  Wine 5 shows steel tank winemaking all the way.  It's not cool climate as the last one, so maybe maritime influence?  Tasmania?  Chile?  I don't feel like the quality is here on this wine and there's a weird funkiness on the finish.  Maybe this is the South African wine?  Walker Bay?  I'm not totally convinced myself but I don't know where else to go on this.  I hit the last one and it's the predictable "California Garbage" selection.  This is some $15 manipulated Central Coast shit that gets served in the United Lounge for free.  I know what this is.

My answers:

Wine 1 Meursault, Burgundy FR

Wine 2 Margaret River, Australia 

Wine 3. Marlborough NZ

Wine 4. Chablis, Burgundy FR

Wine 5. Walker Bay, South Africa

Wine 6. Central Coast CA

Actual Answers:

1. Meursault Les Narvaux, Domaine Latour-Giraud, 2023. Burgundy, France. (13.5%)

2. Chardonnay, Greywacke, 2022. Marlborough, New Zealand. (14%)

3. Chardonnay Prelude, Leeuwin Estate, 2024. Margaret River, Australia. (14%)

4. Chardonnay Terra Alpina, Alois Lageder, 2024. IGT Dolomiti, Italy. (12%)

5. Chablis La Butte “O”, Patrick Piuze, 2021. Burgundy, France. (12.5%)

6. Chardonnay Buttery Reserve, Josh Cellars, 2023. Central Coast, California, USA. (13.5%)

OK, now I've got three left.  The clock is saying 28 minutes, so I'm doing OK on time.  No need to freak out.  

Question 3

Wines 10–12 are wines from regions influenced by the Mediterranean Sea.

For each wine:

a) Identify the primary grape variety and origin as closely as possible. (3 x 10 marks)

b) Discuss how winemaking has impacted the freshness of the wine. (3 x 10 marks)

c) Comment on the commercial position. (3 x 5 marks)

These are the questions where you have to open your mind beyond the classics.  The word that is catching me is "influenced".  As I am thinking around the map I've got Italy, Greece, France, and Spain in play.  What about Lebanese wines?  Israel?  Are they "influenced" by the Mediterranean?  I think so.  What about in France?  At what point does "influence" stop?  I'm thinking Southern Rhone is in play too, no?  OK, let's check out the wines and see if they are saying anything to me...  I know I am going to be funnel, funnel, funnel as these are likely to be weird ass wines.

Wine 10 is aromatic.  It's floral and citrus.  My brain sends me an email.  "That's moscofilero."  My rational side is like "shut the fuck up.  It could be a kazillion Italian grapes."  Noooo.  Listen to the siren song.  Taste it.  Yesssss.  That's moscofilero.  OK, sounds reasonable Brain.  I move onto wine 11.  It's one of those neutral non-aromatic white wines with some lees shit going on.  This could be what?  Anything?  Verdicchio, picpol, assyrtiko, clairette, Fiano, vermentino, viura?  There's a midpalate here with some weight.  I'm going fiano on this.  It reminds me of a Uncle Vito wine from Blind Wine Wednesdays.  Wine 12 is French.  It's screaming France to me.  I know it's French.  There's a heft to it.  This feels like some kind of Roussanne thing to me, maybe a blend.  CDP maybe?  CDP adjacent?  Maybe this is some coastal bullshit blend thing.  It tastes like savory baked tree fruit on the palate.  Medium acid at best.  I don't really drink these kind of wines very often.  It's not grenache blanc though.  The question is do the people asking me the question think Southern Rhone is in the area of influence?  Clock is ticking.  I have to make a decision.  I can't figure out where else to go except Southern Rhone.

My answers:

wine 10  Moscofilero, Greece

wine 11. Fiano, Campania IT

Wine 12. Roussanne, Southern Rhone FR

Actual Answers:

10. Vermentino di Sardegna Costamolino, Argiolas, 2024. Sardegna, Italy. (13.5%)

11. Assyrtiko Thalassitis, Gaia, 2024. Santorini, Greece. (13%)

12. Château de Pibarnon Blanc, 2024. Bandol, France. (13.5%) 

The final buzzer sounds.  Shit, what just happened?  Concentrating this hard across 135 minutes is not something one does very often in adult life.  I gather up my glasses feeling, I don't know, OK?  Would I have answered differently with another 30 minutes?  Yeah, probably.  But that isn't the game we are playing.  I've got about an hour until I have to walk back into this room and write three hours of essays on viticulture.  I have to put this in the rearview mirror and get the next exam in my head.  Today is a challenge, but tomorrow is my toughest day, the dreaded P2 red wine exam in combination with winemaking essays.  I leave the room feeling like I am still alive in this tasting exam depending on the quality of my answers.  Looking at it now, I only had correct identifications on 2/12 which is probably not getting it done.  Goddamn is this shit hard.  

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Post exam notes:  That weird ass Dolomite Italian steel tank chardonnay probably fucked up a majority of test takers.   That wine was like when Tim Lincecum used to throw that devastating 78 mph changeup after blowing some 97 mph fastballs past you.  By me taking that to Chablis, I stopped consideration for Chablis on Wine 5.  On top of that I wrote about how the $15 Trentino chardonnay was a $35 village Chablis on the commercial side so I lost those points too.  I missed it, but I can't be alone on that one.  

Making this exam extra exciting was the revelation afterwards that W8 was flawed with TCA.  The challenge with that is TCA gives you that wet basement/cardboard flavor and totally mutes out primary fruit.  This made wine 7 seem super fruity when it probably would have been comparatively severe next to a good example of wine 8 under normal circumstances.  It will be interesting to see how this is handled by the education committee on grading the exam.  I think I would have nailed those three riesling IDs with good examples of all of those wines.  Maybe I miss the Aussie wine?  

The last group was tough.  That separates the the wheat from the chaff as they say, and I am looking pretty "chaffy" at this point.  I should have gotten that assyrtiko but those are so friggen expensive right now for the quality in the glass, I haven't been drinking them.  I don't think I have ever had a white Bandol before, so limited shame there.  I knew it was Southern French, so I regret not thinking "what the hell do they grow in Bandol?".