The exam does not test what you know. It tests how you think about what you know.
Structured, honest feedback on your theory essays and dry tasting notes — from a Master of Wine who has been exactly where you are now.
You already know the theory. The difficulty is seeing where your own work falls short.
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.
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.
A monthly coaching subscription built around your work
Specific comments anchored to your text, a summary identifying your single biggest area for improvement, and an honest assessment of how close you are to a pass.
Not encouragement for its own sake. A readiness band that tells you honestly where you stand against the exam standard, and what to do next.
Your readiness bands build into a chart, broken down by paper. It tracks your trajectory against the standard, not against other candidates.
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.
Warm in delivery. Uncompromising on the standard.
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.
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.
Start here, no strings attached
Planning, question translation, defining terms, essay structure, paper-by-paper guidance, and the common traps that fail candidates year after year.
Read the Theory GuideWhy 55–60% of practical marks sit off identification, and how to extract each one from quality, maturity, production, and commercial position.
Read the Practical GuideOne rate. Choose your focus.
A monthly subscription with no fixed term. 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. Full pricing details, including the trial, are on the Pricing page.
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.