writing & recordings

Would you like to hear about Mary Margaret firsthand? You can, by way of podcasts and writings that illustrate her perspectives on studying, teaching, and working in wine.

To hear Mary Margaret talk about her journey to become a Master of Wine, and other thoughts, listen to her speak on The Stories Behind Wine, Napa Valley Wine Academy's podcast series here.

Mary Margaret has also published several articles on GuildSomm, including Practical Applications for Blind Tasting and Recollections of a Master of Wine, both of which detail her perspectives on professional wine education. She has also contributed to the book On California (2021 Académie du Vin). You may find her Master of Wine research paper, An investigation into the exceptions for wine in the Volstead Act: What impact did these exceptions have on grape growing and wine production in Napa Valley during US Prohibition? here.

PROFESSIONAL OVERVIEW

Mary Margaret has worked on nearly every side of the wine business, with experience in restaurant, wholesale, retail, and direct to consumer wine sales in key U.S. markets, including New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area. These roles have allowed her to develop extensive experience in sales, marketing, teaching, and writing about wine. 

Though well-versed in most of the world's wine regions, Mary Margaret has specialized knowledge and a passion for the wines of France, especially Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Champagne, along with Napa Valley, California.

In addition to her full-time work representing two of the world's most prestigious wineries - one in Napa and one in Burgundy - Mary Margaret speaks, judges, teaches, and writes about wine and wine education. Among other work, her experience includes:

• Writing wine articles and features for GuildSomm

• Judging and presenting at TEXSOM International Wine Awards

• Speaking as a panelist at TEXSOM Sommelier Conference

• Teaching WSET courses at Napa Valley Wine Academy and Grape Experience

• Developing the wine & beverage curriculum for The Chef's Academy, an accredited culinary college

• Creating education modules for college seminars and corporate wine events

• Crafting specialized wine and food pairing courses for consumers

• Speaking and exhibiting wine at food and wine festivals, including Terra Vita and Aspen Food & Wine Classic, and Santa Fe Wine & Chile

awards

• Bollinger Medal, given by the Madame Bollinger Foundation. Awarded annually to the top-scoring student on the Master of Wine practical examination for outstanding tasting ability.

• MW Outstanding Achievement Award, sponsored by the Austrian Wine Board. Awarded each year to the top overall performing student across all three portions of the Master of Wine exam.

• Wine Australia Scholarship, United States Recipient. Awarded each year to the overall highest-scoring WSET Diploma students in five key markets around the world.

personal background

Mary Margaret is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned degrees as both an undergraduate and graduate student. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Creative Writing as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching. She was also a four-year varsity swimmer.

Her transition into the wine world began in earnest after she moved to New York City in 2008. She cut her teeth working in the wine department at Balthazar, Keith McNally's flagship restaurant in Manhattan. It was here that she fell in love with French wine and was encouraged to pursue the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) certifications through New York's International Wine Center. In 2011, she earned the WSET Diploma, and was awarded the Wine Australia Scholarship for achieving the highest overall score in the United States. The scholarship awarded Mary Margaret a trip to Australia and the opportunity to interact with several Australian Masters of Wine. Ultimately, the experience helped her realize that she had the passion, ability, and determination to achieve the credential herself.

Mary Margaret sat the MW examination in 2015 and passed both theory and practical portions on her first attempt. She wrote her MW research paper on Napa Valley grape growing and wine production during U.S. Prohibition, which allowed her to utilize her background in the humanities and academic research. To request to read her research paper, please visit the Institute of Masters of Wine's website, here.

Currently, Mary Margaret lives and works in the Napa Valley. She feels most at home among the vines, but in her spare time she enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, and swimming. You'll rarely find her without her most faithful friend and assistant, Mickey, who works (and studied) alongside Mary Margaret in between naps. Evidence that Mickey naps far more than he works is documented below.

For more information on how to reach Mary Margaret, visit her contact page here.