L’Institute of Masters of Wine announced its new 2026 members in London: among them, Italy’s Cristina Mercuri. She is the first Italian woman to win the title and the fourth overall after Gabriele Gorelli, Andrea Lonardi and Pietro Russo.
The Institute of Masters of Wine announced today the addition of four new Masters of Wine to the international membership. Including Cristina Mercuri MW, who becomes the first Italian woman to earn the title of Master of Wine.
With the new appointments, the institute has 422 MW professionals active in 30 countries. A narrow network of experts recognized for professional expertise on viticulture, winemaking, markets, tasting and wine communication.
The path and title
The Master of Wine title is awarded only to those who successfully pass all stages of the examination organized by the Institute. Which includes theory tests, blind tastings and the presentation of an original Research Paper on a specific wine topic.
Mercuri completed the entire process and her final thesis. “Wine, Women and Fascism: A Visual Analysis of the Representation of Women in Propaganda in Enotria (1922-1942),” was approved. Thus enabling the official awarding of the MW title.
Who is Cristina Mercuri
Born in Pisa in 1982, Mercuri began her professional career as a lawyer in international firms and then turned her attention to the world of wine, where she built a distinguished educational and professional career. She earned the WSET Diploma in 2017-18 and later embarked on the Master of Wine program.
She is the founder and CEO of Mercuri Wine Club.A company active in training, consulting and communication for Italian and international wineries, as well as a lecturer, judge in international competitions and contributor to industry publications.
Over the years, Mercuri has also publicly voiced critical cultural and structural issues in the Italian and international wine world. Made analyses and speeches on the need to simplify languages, reduce professional gaps and make the industry more accessible.
International relevance
The Master of Wine award is considered one of the most qualifying titles in the wine world, and membership includes professionals from diverse global backgrounds.
The new MWs announced for 2026 include, in addition to Mercuri, professionals from Hong Kong and the United States.
- Karen Hong Liu MW (Hong Kong)
- Kim Oshiro MW (US)
- Bryce Wiatrak MW (US)
Congratulation to Cristina Mercuri from DoctorWine’s team.
