2026 MW Wines and Questions Revealed

For many sitting the 2026 MW exams, yesterday was a day of reckoning -- the MW released the full list of wines and questions (which you can view here). For the two years I have sat this exam, I would record my answers, or as much as I could remember, in a notebook afterwards so that I could check myself once the wines were announced. An important thing to remember is that correct identification of the wines is not the be all, end all of this exam -- a lot of points can be allocated for sound arguments, even if the conclusion is incorrect. But of course, correct IDs give one a sense of confidence regarding their performance, and there is a scale of incorrect -- did you mistake a left bank Bordeaux for a right bank one (a minor, mostly acceptable error), or did you call it a Beaujolais Nouveau (um, a bit bigger of a snafu)?

As readers know, I did not sit the MW exam this year, or participate in the program -- I took my one optional deferral, needing some time to regroup, redefine my priorities and goals, and build up some of the self-confidence that being a Stage 2 MW candidate has slowly chipped away over the last couple of years. The last few months have been a real rollercoaster as I've considered my future with the MW program, and honestly, I'm not ready to share any decisions (mostly because I haven't totally made them yet...I have until early autumn to commit one way or another). However, I have several friends/acquaintances/fellow MW candidates that sat the exam, and I wish them all the best -- I hope yesterday's announcement was good news for you all! I did review the wines and questions and as always, I thought it looked tough but fair. I feel like I could have been especially successful on the white paper (with the final question being the toughest), and sections of the reds. I think the 'mixed bag' paper held some challenges with so many sparkling wines, but if you're going to crash and burn, it might as well involve Champagne. I liked the use of wine pairs throughout the paper, although I thought the way the questions were phrased was a bit ambiguous -- it was not implicitly clear that the wines in the pairs were the same varietal. I am sure the examiners did this very intentionally, because it could trip you up if you're looking for them to be different -- this exam is just as much a mental one as a physical one.

The theory questions were also interesting to read through. I noticed some themes around achieving balance with warming climates, both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Papers 1 and 2 struck me as quite classic and approachable. I though P3 looked surprisingly tough (given my own personal weaknesses), and P4 would have been a real challenge for me. P5 is always a pleasure to think about, and that remained true this year as well.

While I feel like I could have achieved a few solid passes, overall I am relieved that I sat this one out. Reviewing the questions like this is also a good way to identify my own gaps in knowledge and areas of weakness (if a question makes me panic, I probably need to spend some time with it) which is all beneficial to consider leading up to this fall.

Currently listening to: The new Death Cab for cutie album.

Currently drinking: Champagne, paired with oysters at Meritage, while Danielle visited last month (pictured above).