Nova Cadamatre

Fantastic Changes

This has been a vintage year in so many ways and until now I have not had the time or opportunity to talk about any of it. First of all, my husband and I welcomed our first child, Nathaniel, in October. It has changed our lives dramatically and we have spent the last 8 week ...

No Comments . read more

Life After the MW Exam: Hindsight’s Look at My Past 4 Years

Three weeks ago I was one of the 98 students to attempt to pass the rigorous Master of Wine exam. Full details of the exam questions are posted here.  However unlike the majority of other students (in Napa at least), I was taking the full exam for what will be my last time.  I originally ...

2 Comments . read more

France Trip Part 2: Chateau Pichon-Longueville 2eme Cru Classe, Pauillac

            The vineyards of the estate date back to the 17th century when Jacques de Pichon, Baron de Longueville, with the help of his father in law, Pierre de Rauzan, began to assemble the vineyards. The Chateau, where it exists today, was built in 1851, designed by Charles Burgeuet, by Raoul de Pichon-Longueville, one of ...

1 Comment . read more

My MW Scholarship Trip to France!!! Part 1

  WAAAAYYYY Back in November I went on one of the most exciting trips of my life to France based on the generosity of AXA Millesimes.  I promised then that I would blog about it and now after several months I am going to fulfill that promise!  The next few weeks will be short excerpts recalling this ...

No Comments . read more

The 2012 Master of Wine Napa Seminar: Year 4 of my pursuit of the MW.

In just two days time close to 70 MW students will converge on Yountville, CA all with the same goal of one day becoming a Master of Wine.  This will be my fourth seminar and my last as a full program student.  As this is my 3rd shot at the exam this year there are ...

5 Comments . read more

Harvest 2011 – Week 8 – Harvest Halfway and MW preparations

At this point we’re halfway through the harvest season.  In another 8 weeks it will all be wrapped up.  Wine will be tucked away in barrels or tanks either going through ML, extended maceration, and sur lee aging.  Between now and then is the most complex time during the harvest.  This is when the bulk ...

No Comments . read more

FAIL: The Word Everyone Hates to See on MW Exam Results

As you probably assumed from the title of this post, I have once again failed the MW exam.  This was my second attempt and the IMW follows the rules of baseball in the three strikes, you’re out philosophy.  I have one more try before I’m benched. I decided to blog about this failure while it was still fresh ...

12 Comments . read more

The Master of Wine Exam…A Two Week Retrospective

Two weeks ago at this point I had finished the second day of the four day long MW exam.  Now after that time has passed, I’ve had time to chew over my answers in my head, wake up in the middle of the night remembering some small detail that I can’t remember if I mentioned, ...

No Comments . read more

At the End of the Day the Greatest Wine is Red… Or is it?

In the last few weeks running down to the MW exam I’m still slowly working my way through the last layer of questions in my basket however I can see the bottom now so that’s a good sign.  I’m also amazed I’ve gotten through so many questions!  This one came up on my trip last ...

No Comments . read more

Crazy Times: Notes on Blogging, Vintage 2011, Winemaking, and the MW exam…

To my returning readers, my apologies that I have been unable to get a post up for the last two weeks but my life has been insane between full-time winemaking, an on-going house renovation project, a 50 mile bike ride for Diabetes research and my MW studies.  To my new readers…Welcome to the Personalities of ...

No Comments . read more