Italy plays a four-of-a-kind at the table of the Institute of Masters of Wine with Cristina Mercuri

Italy plays a “four-of-a-kind” at the table of “The Institute of Masters of Wine”, with the first Italian woman to reach the milestone. Cristina Mercuri was officially announced today as a Master of Wine, becoming “the first Italian woman to obtain one of the most selective titles in the international wine world. A recognition which certifies technical expertise, academic rigor and leadership skills. Her name now joins those of the other three Italian Masters of Wine to date: Andrea Lonardi, Gabriele Gorelli and Pietro Russo.
Born and raised in Tuscany and living in Milan for almost twenty years, Cristina Mercuri (formerly wine editor for Forbes Italia and international judge for Decanter) is the founder and ceo of Mercuri Wine Club, a strategic consultancy and training academy supporting companies and professionals in developing positioning, communication and wine culture, integrating both traditional and digital channels. Before entering the wine world, she pursued a career as a lawyer in international law firms, working in mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property. “In 2015, she chose to change her career path, applying to the wine sector the same analytical rigor, method and discipline cultivated in the legal profession. In less than ten years, she built a respected profile in the industry, ultimately earning the title of Master of Wine”.
“It was an extremely demanding journey, marked by daily study and no shortcuts. It taught me method, humility, and total dedication to work”, comments Cristina Mercuri, who earned the title with a final thesis entitled “Wine, Women and Fascism: A Visual Analysis of the Representation of Women in Propaganda in Enotria (1922-1942)”, a study that applied visual semiotics to the analysis of illustrated covers of Enotria, the first Italian magazine specializing in wine.
“The study highlights how female representation was used as a tool of propaganda, and today it offers a timely reflection on wine communication, which is called to go beyond the product and question its languages, stereotypes and cultural models, with particular attention to the role of women in the sector”. This theme aligns closely with one aspect of her professional commitment, as she promotes scholarship programs and training paths dedicated to young professionals and women, with the goal of making the sector more inclusive and meritocratic. “Because Italian wine is not only meant to be told - she concludes - it is meant to be experienced with new words and with a gaze that is finally free”.
This idea has always been central to Italy Master of Wine, as she had already shared in this video interview (Florence, March 8th, 2024) with WineNews, yet it remains still relevant. Together with Cristina Mercuri, three more Masters of Wine were appointed today: Karen Hong Liu (Hong Kong), Kim Oshiro and Bryce Wiatrak (both from the USA), bringing the current number to 422 active Masters of Wine across 30 countries.