Jancis was writing about becoming an MW in the FT this weekend. There are of course a lot of fine Masters of Wine about but I do wonder these days if they don't spend too long studying "trellising systems in Ruritanian vineyards" for it to be entirely relevant to people of our interests. This was confirmed by Jancis mentioning candidates practising by "dry tasting", which apparently involves writing tasting notes without actually having any wine in your glass! All very odd - it reminds me of a rather surreal evening a couple of years ago when I and a few of the lads were entertaining a visiting wine writer. He lacked stamina and declined a glass of the fizz we opened to clear our palates after the reds - but then joined in our analysis of it anyway!

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