First Master Class in Russia organised by the Institute of Masters of Wine.

Vice President of the Institute of Masters of Wine (IMW), Sarah Jane Evans MW, introduced the prestigious wine institute, which has a history spanning almost 60 years and offers the Master of Wine study programme. During the presentation, Dr Josef Schuller MW, Director of the Austrian Wine Academy, which is the largest wine educational centre in Europe, provided advice for potential MW candidates on how they could prepare for acceptance onto the programme. The new wine courses held in English in Austria are therefore highly attractive; the WSET Advanced course - Wines and Spirits international course begins on 10 October 2011, and is followed by the WSET Diploma in Spring 2012. The Master Class tasting was attended by some 60 wine trade and gastronomy professionals, and was conducted in typical MW format with six wines and a demonstration of how to approach a Master of Wine blind tasting. The interest was very high, and there is much hope that in the future, a second Russian Master of Wine will follow Igor Ryjenkov, who is based in Canada, into the IMW.

The Austrian Wine Marketing Board, one of the two Principal sponsors of the IMW, is also 50 % owner of the Austrian Wine Academy.