Barbara Philip is Canada's First Female Master of Wine

Barb Philip pouring out of a wine decanter from a detail of a 2002 CityFood cover photo by Hamid Attie.



VANCOUVER'S BARBARA PHILIP NAMED AS
CANADA'S FIRST FEMALE MASTER OF WINE
(Directly from the press release - November 6, 2007)


(London, England) The Institute of Masters of Wine announced recently that Barbara Philip is Canada’s first female Master of Wine (MW). Philip is the second Master of Wine in Canada and the sole MW in Western Canada, and one of four women who hold the designation in North America. Philip is a senior instructor and department head for the International Sommelier Guild.

The Master of Wine is the world’s most respected designation in wine appreciation and the most difficult to attain. It is administered through the Institute of Masters of Wine in London, England and began as a qualification for the British wine trade in 1953. The MW is considered the most demanding of any of the professional wine qualifications and there are only 265 Masters of Wine in the world. In order to become a MW, candidates must pass intensive written and practical examinations and write a dissertation on a subject of their expertise. Philip’s thesis was to examine Pinot Blanc as a potential signature wine in the Okanagan Valley, Canada.

All new Masters of Wine, seven in total, were granted their certificates by the Master of the Vintners' Company at the Institute's Annual Reception and Awards Ceremony on Thursday 1st November 2007 in Vintners' Hall, London. More than 200 invite-only guests, mainly MWs, enjoyed flowing Bollinger Champagne and canapés after the awards were presented.

Joanna Locke MW, Chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine, said, “I’m delighted to welcome seven such talented and diverse individuals to membership of the Institute.