How does it work?
I, Richard Ballantyne MW, offer a Master of Wine coaching scheme. This is for students who are already enrolled or are looking to enrol. You submit your work to me, and I provide detailed feedback and an assessment of your readiness for that individual assignment. Your progress will be measured and charted on your dashboard. This is not a marking scheme; this is MW exam coaching. Based on your feedback, I will assess your readiness to take Stage 1 or Stage 2 exams. This will work alongside your study groups and official IMW assignments.
Are you teaching me about wine?
No. This programme assumes you already have deep wine knowledge — WSET Diploma level or equivalent — and real trade experience before you start. I don’t teach grape varieties, regions, or production methods. What I teach is exam technique: how to structure an argument, answer the precise question asked, use evidence and assess quality convincingly, and show an examiner that you can think critically about what you already know. If you’re looking to learn about wine, this isn’t the right programme. If you know your wine but keep failing to convert that knowledge into a pass, that’s exactly the gap this coaching closes.
Is this official IMW feedback?
No. I’m a Master of Wine and an experienced coach, but this scheme is entirely independent of the Institute of Masters of Wine. The feedback, readiness bands, and guidance I give you reflect my own professional judgement, not an official IMW assessment, and they carry no formal standing with the Institute. Nothing here guarantees any exam outcome.
This coaching is designed to work in tandem with your official assignments, study groups, and tasting groups — not to replace them. Think of it as an additional weapon in your armoury, not a substitute for the commitments you already have. The candidates who do best treat this as one more source of honest, expert eyes on their work, alongside everything else the IMW programme already asks of you.
What do I get for my subscription?
If you subscribe to the full programme (theory and practical), you may submit 2 assignments per month: one theory essay and one dry tasting exercise, for £100 per month. If you prefer to focus on one discipline, theory-only is £100 per month for 2 essays; practical-only is £100 per month for 2 dry tasting exercises. You are paying for expert feedback, coaching, and skills that will prepare you for the Master of Wine exams. Additional essays and dry note exercises are available on an ad hoc basis; pay per submission. Re-writes are marked at a reduced rate.
How quickly will I get feedback?
Feedback is typically within 10 working days. Most marking takes place at weekends, so please allow for at least one weekend in your timeframe.
Can I focus on theory only or practical only?
Yes. If you are a full programme S1 or S2 student, I would encourage you to do both. However, I would discourage you from planning to pass only one module. We will also accept theory-only and practical-only students.
What’s a readiness band?
I have decided against giving hard grades against essays and dry note exercises. However, I believe that as a student you must be able to assess your progress. For this reason, we have four readiness bands and will chart your progress on your dashboard. The bands are Developing / Below MW Threshold / MW Pass / MW High Pass. These are awarded for each assignment, so we can measure your progress on each module and by paper. These bands are not for polishing your trophies. They are there to chart your progress. MW study is a marathon, not a sprint.
Do I need to be a registered MW student?
No. I will also accept students who meet the IMW entry requirements. To apply to the MW programme, you must hold a wine qualification at WSET Diploma level or equivalent. A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in wine (e.g. oenology, viticulture, wine business etc.) or an appropriately high level sommelier certificate are also considered. You must currently work in the wine trade and have a minimum of three years’ professional work experience in the global wine community.
Can I try it before subscribing?
Yes. We offer a trial: £50 for one theory essay or £50 for one dry tasting exercise. Full feedback experience, identical to what subscribers receive. One trial per candidate, no exceptions.
How do I cancel?
Cancel at any time. You can also pause your subscription for the summer or any other period and resume when you are ready.
Is my work confidential?
Yes. Both ways. Your assignments will only ever be seen by my eyes and stored on a secure server to which only I have access. I require you to respect that any feedback that I send you is also kept confidential. However, I urge you to spread the word of this scheme on social media or through your study groups. I encourage you to share your progress through the progress chart.