Reflections After Stage 1: What I Wish I’d Known Before Starting the MW Journey

Coming out of my first exam—or Stage 1 Assessment, to be precise—and having been in the programme for about a year now, there are a few things I wish I’d done before fully committing to MW studies.

I’m someone who is more result-driven than process-driven. Coming from a PR agency background, I tend to achieve more when there’s a clear deadline. So pursuing the MW felt like a natural next step to keep studying and challenging myself in wine. However, the amount of work—and more importantly, the time—it takes to progress is far greater than I had anticipated.

Now that others considering the programme have started asking me what it’s really like, I find myself saying: get prepared for the following.

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1. You will be confronted with your non-readiness—about once every quarter.
And then you’ll need to pick yourself back up and convince yourself you can do this. It’s part of the process.

2. Everyone says this—and it didn’t resonate at first—but now I get it: Have a study plan.
Understand your weaknesses early and start there. You simply cannot cover everything in one year. Identify the gaps and focus.

3. Practice writing. A lot.
For me, learning how to write tasting exams was much harder than theory. The answers need to be precise, efficient, and brutally succinct. I’m still working on it.

4. Prepare to feel a little lonely.
At some point, your mind will be filled with rootstock numbers and yeast strains, and you’ll realise your partner, family, and friends just don’t share the obsession.

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I also came to realise that many students took time before applying for the entry exam—and honestly, I think that’s very clever. I jumped right in and often felt overwhelmed by the new information, writing styles, and ways of thinking. I didn’t know what to expect, so I didn’t always get the most out of seminars, course days, or even assessments.

So here’s what I’d suggest:

– Talk to as many current Stage 1 students as you can.
They’re the ones in the thick of it, and their experiences are recent and relatable.

– Join MW tasting groups—and write the notes.
Actually doing timed tasting practice is crucial. This was the biggest gap for me entering the programme. I hadn’t fully appreciated the importance of “dry” tasting notes and rewriting past exams.

– Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
All the MW students I’ve met have been incredibly kind and humble—probably because we all live with a healthy dose of self-doubt 😂. I’ve always found it hard to reach out to people I don’t know, but the truth is: we’re all wine nerds. And anyone who loves talking about wine this much is always welcome in my world—hopefully in yours too.