The journey starts here...

Every successful person had 10,000 hours of practice or study in the area that stood out.

Week 1

Hours of study: 5

Hours to go: 9,995

Units of wine consumed: 1 glass of champagne, 1/2 bottle of Riesling, 1/2 bottle Pomerol, 1 bottle of Pinot Noir

Finally my decision was made!

Researching the differences between Master of Sommelier, focused on excellence in Sommelier service, and Master of Wine, focused on the wines and producing regions of the world, I realized that my very will is to understand the stories told by the bottles of wine.

So Luma Monteiro MW, here we go!

Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification issued by the Masters of Wine Institute in the UK and is one of the highest standards of professional knowledge. The study program consists of three stages. Stage 1 is the year of foundation and offers students the opportunity to meet the Masters of Wine and colleagues in professional and social contexts. The assessment of stage 1 includes six assignments throughout the year, culminating in an examination that takes place in early June. The examination involves a test to identify 12 wines and two written essays. In stage 2, students must provide three papers for evaluation and must pass both the Theory and Practice Parts of the June Exam to advance to the Stage 3 Research Paper which is an individual assignment between 6,000 and 10,000 words in one topic of student choice. All qualification takes at least three years to complete in full.

First things first

As every journey needs to be built, I have verified that the mandatory prerequisite for MW is the WSET Level 4 Diploma, the last (specialist) level of school learning that requires a dedication of 600 hours of class study, plus 100 hours of home study including proof of more than 250 wines and 32 distillates. I recently finished level 3 and while waiting for results, I decided to study so that I did not wait for the time to arrive without being prepared.

Inspiration Outliers

In 2008, journalist and writer Malcolm Gladwell released the book Out of Series - Outliers spreading throughout the world the "10,000 hour" thesis, the supposed practice time needed to master a complex activity. In a 40-year study of Nobel laureate Herbert Simon and professor of psychology William Chase, it was noted that chess champions had spent 10,000 to 50,000 hours studying the board (and numerous parts positions) before make great teachers. Subsequent studies broadened the scope of the discovery to various complex activities, such as the creation of symphonies or elite sport, and the 10,000-hour equation was uttered by the Swedish psychologist K. Anders Ericsson. An example is the Beatles. Gladwell says that in the band's history, they played

during three years in the city of Hamburg, in nightclubs, before they became famous. They played almost every day of the week, for an incredible 8 hours a day. Look, 8 hours a day for three years, gives almost 10,000 hours of practice. A little more testing and they already have the basic requirement. That's why they were so good at what they did.

The plan

I made a schedule on my Google calendar like the schedules I chose to study. And I update this schedule weekly. There will be 5 days of study with 5 hours each, giving a total of 25 weekly and approximately 100 monthly hours. So in 100 months ie 8.3 years I will be master total yoda!

So you think, but why my daughter, will you finish in 8 years?

Let's include then that I will be studying for the Diploma and later MW, so it sounds reasonable! And let's combine that studying wine is mega ultra satisfying.

I left 2 days without studies to write in the blog and for the videos that I am producing along with youtube channel Wine Terroir.

I will study by region making a file with information about climate, grapes, wine style and list of producers (which I think will be a plus in my file). I include in what I consider to be study, the tastings, curiosities and all kinds of wine related subject that I find on the way.

My goal is to study seriously but not miss the main points of the wine world: Happiness, gathering people and telling stories.

That way I'm creating an outstanding wine diary for me and that serves as an aid to those who are starting and want to gather more information.

The files I am editing will be made available to readers and blog members.

The tools

These are the books I'm using, but my research includes a lot of articles I find on google and I'm about to be a member of GuildSomm to access more technical information and laws from every wine region in the world.

The Wine Bible, Karen MacNeil

This is my heart book. The best I've ever read in my entire history in the wine world.

The Atlas of Wine, Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson

With very consistent information and concise maps and techniques.

Cork Dork, Bianca Bosker

This is mine motivational book. I read the author's story and it keeps me right on the path I want to follow.

Merely emotional for me.

The wines of the Week

Ruinart Blanc de Blanc

Trimbach Riesling, Alsace, 2008

Pomerol La Fleur de Gay, 2000

Pinot Noir Vavasour, New Zealand, 2014