Structured, honest feedback on your theory essays and dry tasting notes. From a Master of Wine who has been where you are now.
The MW exam does not test what you know. It tests how you think about what you know.
The theory pass rate hovers around 20%. The practical can drop below 10%. Most candidates who fail do not lack knowledge. They fail because they do not answer the question asked, do not structure their argument, or do not show the examiner they can think critically about what they know.
You already know this. You have probably read the examiners’ reports. You understand the principles. The difficulty is not knowing what good looks like. It is seeing where your own work falls short.
That gap closes only with practice and honest, expert feedback. Not peer review. Not generic marking. Feedback from someone who understands the standard from the inside, can read your work cold, and will tell you exactly what the examiner will see.
What you get
A monthly coaching subscription built around two things: your theory essays and your dry tasting notes.
Each month you submit your included essays and tasting exercises. I read them properly. You receive detailed, structured feedback: specific comments anchored to your text, a summary identifying your single biggest area for improvement, and a readiness band that tells you honestly where you stand against the exam standard. Not a grade. Not encouragement for its own sake. An honest assessment of how close you are to a pass, and what to do next.
Additional submissions are available if you want to work at a faster pace. Rewrites are encouraged, and marked at a reduced rate. The learning happens not in the first draft but in the rewrite.
Over time, your readiness bands build into a progress chart, broken down by paper. You see where you are strong and where to focus. The chart does not lie. It cannot be inflated by a kind marker or deflated by a harsh one. It tracks your trajectory against the standard, not against other candidates.
Why work with me
I am a Master of Wine. I sat the exam, so I know what it demands. I work with MW students at seminars and in individual coaching, so I see the patterns: the same structural weaknesses, the same traps, the same gaps between what candidates know and what they write.
I also run Noble Grape, an independent wine merchant in Cowbridge, Wales. I taste wine constantly; I buy and sell it for a living, and I bring that practical, real-world perspective to coaching. This is not abstract academic feedback. It is feedback from someone who lives in the wine trade every day.
My approach is warm in delivery and uncompromising on the standard. I will not tell you your essay is “very good” when it is not yet passing. I will tell you what is wrong, why it matters, and what to do about it. That is what moved every successful MW candidate from where you are now to where they needed to be.
Free guides
How to Approach the MW Theory Exam
Planning, question translation, defining terms, essay structure, paper-by-paper guidance, and the common traps that fail candidates year after year.
How to Approach the MW Practical Exam: The Points Monster
Why are 55-60% of practical marks off identification, and how to extract each of them from quality, maturity, production, and commercial positions?
Cost
Full programme (one essay, one dry tasting exercise per month): £100/month
Theory only (two essays per month): £100/month
Practical only (two dry tasting exercises per month): £100/month
Choose a 3, 6, or 9-month programme to suit your study timeline — the same monthly rate either way. Pause or cancel any time; there’s no lock-in.
The price reflects my time, not a subscription to an app. Every piece of feedback is personally reviewed to MW standard. This is not automated marking. It is coaching.
Full pricing details, including the trial, are in the [FAQ].
Get started
I am taking a small number of students for the 2026-27 academic year. If you are a current Stage 1 or Stage 2 student, or a serious candidate preparing to join the programme, I would be glad to hear from you. Email me directly for any further queries: richard@richardballantynemw.co.uk.