Robin Kick and Nicholas Paris from the United States, Rob MacCulloch and Natasha Hughes from the U.K., Louise Sydbeck from Sweden and Anne Krebiehl from Germany are the newest recruits; the six, who come from a variety of wine-related professions, have now earned one of the wine world’s most sought-after qualifications.

Robin Kick and Rob MacCulloch are both involved in trading wines, Kick for Swiss-based broker ARVI SA, and MacCulloch for U.K. Burgundy importers Domaine Direct. Louise Sydbeck, who is Sweden’s third Master of Wine, supplies wine to luxury yachts in southern France.

Anne Krebiehl and Natasha Hughes are both wine writers and consultants, Krebiehl with a focus on German wines in particular. Nicholas Paris is a wine educator for E&J Gallo in the U.S.

Executive Director of the Institute Penny Richards said: "We are thrilled to welcome these outstanding individuals; their diligence and commitment to excellence will be great assets to our community, as will their diversity."

The Institute celebrated its 60th birthday last year, and some 366 people have held the title of MW since 1953. To hold the title Master of Wine, candidates must pass a grueling set of practical and written exams, as well as completing a dissertation.

A record 106 candidates from around the world sat the exams in June, and those that pass will then go on to write the final dissertation before achieving the qualification. Dissertations from the new MWs covered issues as wide ranging as cluster thinning in Zinfandel vines to the rise of ultra-premium rosés in Provence, and the effect of wine scores on U.S. consumers.

Richards offered her congratulations to candidates, saying: "Results day is always one of the most emotional in the Institute’s calendar, full of triumphs and disappointments … We had our greatest-ever number of candidates, and overall results for the Theory Examination were the best we’ve ever seen."