A new crop of MWs, announced today by the Institute of Masters of Wine, bringing the total to 10 new MWs in vintage 2024.
We are delighted to extend our congratulations to Neil Bernardi MW, Tone Veseth Furuholmen MW, Benjamin Hasko MW, Victoria Mason MW and Wei Xing MW, who are the latest to earn the title Master of Wine. They complete the 2024 vintage of Masters of Wine, joining the five MWs who passed in February of this year. There are now 421 active Masters of Wine based in 30 countries.
Neil Bernardi MW (US)
Neil Bernardi is chief operating officer of Colgin Cellars in Napa Valley, with over two decades of leadership experience in many facets of the wine trade. Prior to joining Colgin, Neil spent 15 years with The Duckhorn Portfolio, where he held numerous leadership positions, including VP of winemaking, general manager for Sonoma County winegrowing, and winemaker of Migration Winery, before becoming vice-president and general manager of Kosta Browne, Canvasback and Goldeneye wineries. Prior to that, he was associate winemaker for Littorai Wines. Bernardi holds a BA in Italian and a BS in Viticulture and Enology from UC Davis, as well as being an Eagle Scout. In 2018, Wine Enthusiast recognised Bernardi as one of the ‘trailblazers shaping the future of wine in America’, naming him a ‘Top 40 Under 40 Tastemaker’. Neil lives in Northern California with his wonderfully supportive wife and three children.
Research paper: Sensory impact of lees mixing treatments on traditional method sparkling wine
Tone Veseth Furuholmen MW (Norway)
Tone lives and works in Oslo. She is a Senior Product Manager for the Norwegian Wine Monopoly with responsibility for Italy, Portugal, Spain, Lebanon and Greece. Tone’s passion for wine began during language studies in Italy where she spent five years before working as a trade analyst for the Italian Trade Commission in Oslo. She then joined the wine importer Arcus Group (Anora) and finally the Monopoly. She holds a Master of Management degree from BI business school. She currently teaches Sommelier Education and WSET Diploma in Oslo. Tone’s expertise covers different parts of the wine industry such as product development, branding, marketing, PR, distribution, education, sensory research and in-depth knowledge regarding the purchasing systems of the Scandinavian monopolies. When Tone is not drinking wine based on rare and nearly extinct Italian or Portuguese varieties, she trains dressage with her Portuguese Lusitano horse or spends time with her husband and two sons.
Research paper: Mousiness in wine: An investigation into the effects of repeated exposures and systematic training on wine professionals’ sensitivity to mousiness
Benjamin Hasko MW (Singapore)
Benjamin is a passionate wine professional with 15+ years of experience in the Asia-Pacific region, having lived in Singapore for the past five years. Benjamin is the beverage director for a leading restaurant group, overseeing a team of sommeliers and curating wine lists for award-winning venues. Benjamin imports wines into Australia and Singapore, working with small producers focused on sustainability from Northern Italy, Germany, and Central Europe. Benjamin also supports wine education as a presenter and examiner. His passion for wine extends beyond work, leading him on global travels to discover emerging countries, regions and producers. Benjamin and his wife Meredith stay busy raising their three young children.
Research paper: Understanding the value of sub-regional identity in Margaret River: consumer perspectives from Singapore
Victoria Mason MW (UK – England)
After obtaining her BA in English Literature at Warwick University and her MPhil at Cambridge University, Victoria moved to London and started on the Waitrose graduate scheme. While the seeds may have been sown at Friday-night postgraduate dinners, it was later – in 2013 – that she well and truly tumbled down the wine ‘rabbit hole’. After three years as a horticulture buyer, spending much of her time on the ground, she made the seamless transition into Waitrose’s wine buying team in 2016. She went on to win the Wines from Spain Prize for outstanding results in her WSET Diploma and became a South Africa specialist. Victoria has spent almost all her time immersed in wine since then – tasting, travelling, judging, helping with harvest – with viticulture and soil life emerging as real passions. After Waitrose, she bought for fine wine merchant and trader, Bordeaux Index, before joining The Wine Society’s buying team in May 2024.
Research paper: An investigation into the enablers and barriers to the adoption and practice of regenerative viticulture in Stellenbosch
Wei Xing MW (China – mainland)
After graduating from the Philosophy Department of Renmin University of China, Wei Xing developed a strong interest in wine during his postgraduate studies in France. Upon completing his studies in 2014 and returning to China, he began his journey as a wine educator, working alongside Fongyee Walker MW and Edward Ragg MW. During this period, he achieved the WSET Diploma and became a certified educator by WSET and several wine-producing countries and regions. Since 2017, Wei Xing has been studying towards becoming a Master of Wine. Throughout his MW journey, he has explored various roles within the wine industry. He has founded a hybrid wine specialty store that integrates drinking, learning, and purchasing wine and has also contributed significantly to online wine education and social media video creation, amassing approximately 400,000 followers. Presently, he serves as an independent wine educator and judge, teaching WSET and various wine courses across China, while conducting promotional masterclasses for wine associations and producers at exhibitions nationwide.
Research paper: Factors affecting Chinese wine consumers’ preferences for wine in on-trade and off-trade channels
MW biographies and portraits kindly provided by the IMW.