Only 353 people worldwide hold the title of Master of Wine, and one of them lives in Taiwan

▲ Taiwan’s first Master of Wine. (Photo / Provided by Mark)

Reporter Lin Rui-kang / Taipei reports

There are currently only 353 Master of Wines (MW) in the world, andamong the 13 newly appointed MWs announced on September 5 this year, one lives in Taiwan — Mark Pygott from the UK. Although he is British, when registering his nationality for MW studies, he chose Taiwan as his place of residence.

The path to becoming an MW is extremely rigorous. First, applicants must have a certain level of experience in the wine industry to qualify for admission — most applicants must hold the WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Level 4 Diploma or have several years of work experience in the wine sector. After submitting an application letter, candidates must take an entrance exam, and only upon passing can they officially enter the MW program.

Once accepted into the MW program, candidates must pass through three stages to earn the title. The first stage involves a blind tasting of 12 wines and writing two essays within two hours. Candidates must begin the second stage within three years of passing the first. The so-called “second stage” requires not only theoretical study but also visiting various wine-producing regions. The second-stage exams consist of three consecutive days of blind tastings and written tests, followed by a fourth day of only written exams — totaling three blind tasting papers and five written papers over four days (with two written papers on the fourth day). The written tests cover five major areas: viticulture, winemaking, quality control and packaging, marketing, and current affairs.

After passing the second stage, candidates move on to the third stage: the research dissertation. Like a graduate thesis, this requires selecting a topic and gaining approval before proceeding. Typically, a research dissertation must be at least sixty pages long, and after completion, it must be reviewed and approved before one can officially become a Master of Wine.

▲ Tasting wine is like savoring life. (Photo / Provided by Mark)

This year’s newly appointed Mark Pygott, MW, was originally a British wine industry professional who held the WSET Level 4 Diploma. In 2012, due to the passing of his close business partner from cancer and his wife being posted to Taiwan as vice principal of a European international school, he made the bold decision to leave everything in the UK behind and move his family to Taiwan. Unexpectedly, he was deeply captivated by Taiwan’s climate, environment, and culture.

To integrate into Taiwanese society as quickly as possible,Mark, who knew no Chinese at all, not only studied Mandarin at National Taiwan Normal University but also continued working toward becoming an MW. However, he never expected that “learning Chinese would be even harder than earning the MW title.” To obtain the MW in the shortest time possible, he put his Chinese studies on hold and managed to earn the MW title in just four years — a feat that usually takes around ten years.

“I LOVE TAIWAN!” Out of his love for Taiwan, Mark chose Taiwan as his place of residence when registering for the MW program. Mark said that although Taiwan is not where he grew up, it was the place where he found a new lease on life after facing a low point in the UK. He is Taiwan’s first MW, but he believes that Taiwan will definitely produce a homegrown MW in the future.