Masters of Wine: I've been thinking about talking about this for a while.

Masters of Wine: I've been thinking about talking about this for a while. Well, here it is...

I'll miss the blind tastings! Not. [smile]

This is a "thank you" letter to all of you who supported me - in one way or another - for the past eight years. These years that will be forever in my mind as the ones that I dreamed I could become a Master of Wine.

It took me a long while to make this decision to say what I am about to say: I will no longer be a student with the Institute of Masters of Wine of London. This, of course, doesn't come easy or "out of the blue." It's a well-thought process that took me about two years to mature and to make sure that was the right decision to make. Especially knowing that I have to be very committed to my wood business in order to make it successful. Going back to my studies would be irresponsible.

I'm not going to take long here. All I need to say is that this was an incredible journey. One that made me learn many things but, possibly, the two most important ones were: 1. Be humble. It's impossible to know everything about wine. 2. Be very respectful to those who are MWs. It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to become one. I have the highest admiration towards those who carry the title.

And, as I said in the beginning of this letter, I am here to say thanks. So here it goes... Thank you so much to all of you who I will list here, starting with my mentor and dear friend Patrick Farrell MW, who put many many hours of his time to try to help me succeed in the program. THANK YOU!!!

My dear wife and love of my life: Nanci Bergamo. She was a real saint during my MW years. Without her support, light, and love I wouldn't have even started it. THANK YOU!!!

The amazing #winelover community who gave me inspiration. Many of you are dear friends who, I know, sent me lots of positive energy and good thoughts during my studies. I'll try to name all of you here, but you know who you are. THANK YOU!!! 

To all MWs who helped some way or another through my journey. Here there are three of them: 

Konstantinos Lazarakis, Christy Canterbury, and Caroline Gilby (but the list is a lot longer than this and I'll make sure that - if I can - to mention all names). THANK YOU!!!

To all my fellow MW students. It was an amazing experience to have shared a classroom and a tasting session with all of you. CONGRATS to those of you who have already passed and BEST OF LUCK to all of you still trying!!! 

Here I'll include everyone that I can remember (in the order that Facebook is showing my friends today). Those of you who somehow helped me during these past eight years. And also to those who encouraged me to leave the program by inspiring me with kind words and support.  Lastly, to those of you who are "just" dear friends. You always have a positive impact on me. THANK YOU!!!

Ted Lelekas - Vasilis Ioannou - Sharon Parsons -  Arnaldo Nacarato - Galina Todorova Niforou - Giannis Krassaki - Fabien Lainé - Evangelie Tseliou - Alice Aristi Anastasiou - Razvan Stoenescu -Sarah May Grunwald - Nilce Helena Nacarato - Leeann Froese -  Theodosia Kehagia - Magnus Reuterdahl - Rita Toth - Paulo Salete -Milo Micunovic - Carlos Schölderle - Erik Klein - Biji Rusan Victor - Stephan Steve Bosák - Richard Schnitzlein - Manos Ausone - Karin Luize De Carvalho - Rudi Goldman - Szövérdfi-Szép Zoltán - Panos Kakaviatos - Arianna Vitale - Manuela Oltramari - Brad Smith - Roy Hersh - Ana Sofia de Oliveira - Carmen Moraes - Dusan Jelic - Sue Tolson - Rob Ciampa - Tim Lemke - Giulia Luccioli - Matthew Horkey - Serban Sincai - Jan Matthias Klein - Marinela V. Ardelean -  Cathrine Todd  - Luciana Braz - Rob Barnett - Magda Beverari - Maria Sofia Dare Biancolin - Peder Larsen - Adam Japko - Ignacio Segovia - Galbeaza Maria Alexandra - Enio Marodin - Mete Deniz - Daniela Buzincu - Elias Macovela - Wayne Young - Lesya Onyshko - Elisabetta Tosi - Annette Lizotte - Eleni Kefalopoulou - Rita Takaró - Franck Merloz - Harry Lamers - Sinisa Curavic - Pablo Dotta - Dimitra Arida - Elisabeth Seifert - Paul Robert Blom - Richard Auffrey - Ivo Pagès - Claire Sarazin - Anna Ruini - Jonas Schäfer - Gerhild Magerl - Heidi Stine - Andre Ribeirinho - Ivana Simjanovska - Becky Sue Epstein - Carolyn Bánfalvi - Luca Formentini - Adrian Butuc - Diane Letulle - Irie Wine - Stacy Sullivan Woods - Roger Kolbu - Heloise Merolli - Stefan Hoderlein - Maria Frangieh - Maria Helena - Moraza Moraza - Jim Budd - Bogdan Raul Todor - April Cullom - Angelika Deutsch - Ionut Moroianu - Mariusz F. Rybak - Carla Maset - Ricardo Bernardo - Elod Adam - Burcak Desombre - Carl Edmund Sherman - Nancy Lee Akinci Seymann - Roy Cohen - Philip Kampe - Hugo Mesquita - Peter Handzus - Frank Morgan - Andreja Lajh - Cathy Huyghe - Elizabeth Smith - Militza Zikatanova - Elisabeth Gstarz - Valerie Brockbank - Robyn Bancroft - Anne Naumanen - Arto Koskelo - Oscar Quevedo - Anne-Victoire Jocteur Monrozier - Marie-Louise Schyler - Olga Mosina - Lolô Riccobene - Vincent Pétré - Reka Haros - Horia Hasnas - Vuk Stefanovic - Katherine McEachnie - Elena Roppa - Alioscia Lombardini - Panayiota Kalogeropoulou - Jan Kiegeland - Melanie Bianco Ofenloch - Agnes Herczeg - Lisa Stephenson - Jenn Nelson - Lidia Rizzo - Thea Dwelle - Paolina Petkova - Mi Yeun Hong - Gabriel Dvoskin - Maciek Gontarz - Charine Tan - Olga Markovets - Karina Aggarwal - Lily Dimitriou - Ricardo Oliveira - André Cis - Monica Miranda Monteiro - John Kelsey - Paulo Coutinho - Filippo Butussi - Marc Roisin - Daniel Matos - Taner Ogutoglu - Lene Lundvald Bucelli - Juanita Auffrey - Jamie Goode - Silvia Canas da Costa - Giampiero Nadali - Jasna Marina Chinese - Ward de Muynck - Noel Pusch - Gloria Chang - Aleksi Mehtonen - Joana Pais - Tim Atkin MW - Corinne Hofland - Camilla Rossi Chauvenet - Lynn Coulthard - Brett Jones - Christer Schröder - Jennifer Holden - Lampros Zografos - Paul Balke - Amy C. Anderson Gross - Per Karlsson - Tivon Vino - Isabela Nacarato - Neli Ruseva - Julien Miquel - Lori Hoyt Budd - Laura Ciampa - Joe Roberts - Donka Kosturska-Nikolova - Daniel Ercsey - Peter Bell - Christine Havens - Elizabeth Gabay - William Wilson - Ana Monforte Weijters - Brett Vankoski - Sandra Zandavalli Avila - Raluca Ioanna - Billo Naravane MW - Wence Chan - Ian Blackburn - Anna Aga - Rod Smith - Mladen Dragojlovic - Debra Meiburg MW - Andrew Witter - Gabriela Georgieva - Xristos Alatzias - Jeff Kralik - Augusto Bevitore - Igor Lukovic - Demetra Molina - Aurelio Alberto - Joe Quartarone - Michelle Williams - Manuella Webber Witt - Claudia Padilla Rasshofer - Bruno Gaberšek - Dan Vestik Coclici - Meriane Sander - Tânia Branco Oliveira - Stefan Metzner - Elena Tejedor Domínguez - Selma Thoni - Cosmin Mihai Milos - Christian Callec - Tony Polzer - Fabiana Bracco - Arnaldo A. Nacarato - Marcelo Thöni Bergamo - Benjamin North Spencer - Daniel Martinez - Kiki Chatzisavva - Greg Prassas - Chris Tina - Philip Kampe - Jürgen Schmücking - Sharon Mclean - Nova McCune Cadamatre - Sara-Sira Da Val Franco - Tanisha Townsend - Zoli Piroska - Sandra Hoderlein - Deborah Katz - Alison Smith Marriott - George Wine - Marisa Indelicato-McKenzie - Iuliana Constantin - Keith Edwards - Ivonne E. Nil - Elena Charrère - Marin Atanasov - Morgana Miolo - Dana Rubsam Penso - Leslie Frelow - Steve Shaw Jr - Quentin Sadler - Laurence Prunet-Le Breton - Fausto Proietti - Ameal Pedro Araujo - Alessio Planeta - Mike Veseth - Emma Bentley - Lisa Perrotti-Brown - Kenichi Ohashi MW - Julia Kostadinova - Morten Bundgaard - Kiriaki Panagiotou - Vasco Croft - Filippo Peppucci - Yiannis Karakasis MW - Andreia Gentilini Milan - Geoffrey Dean - Jaime Araujo - Eric Ifune - Jose Alberto Manoel Allen - Joana Pinhão ... 

TO BE CONTINUED

Cheers!!!

Luiz Alberto

• Founder of the #winelover community
• Founder of the #LifeLover community

• Master of Wine candidate (former)

• Italian Wine Ambassador

• I combine my passion for wine with social media

• Follow me on twitter: @thewinehub 
• On Instagram: 1winelover