Cristina Mercuri, the First Italian Woman Master of Wine

Academic rigour, strategic vision and a commitment to a more conscious wine communication

Cristina Mercuri has been awarded the title of Master of Wine, becoming the first Italian woman to achieve one of the most rigorous and selective qualifications in the international wine world. This milestone recognises outstanding technical expertise, analytical precision and leadership capability.

Born in Tuscany and based in Milan for nearly twenty years, Cristina Mercuri is the Founder and CEO of Mercuri Wine Club, a strategic consultancy and education academy dedicated to wine. Before entering the wine sector, she built a career as a lawyer in international law firms specialising in mergers and acquisitions and intellectual property. In 2015, she chose to redirect her professional path, applying the same discipline and analytical method developed in her legal career to the wine industry. In less than a decade, she has established herself as a leading voice in Italian wine.

The Master of Wine programme, led by the Institute of Masters of Wine in London, requires years of study, high-level theory and tasting examinations, and the completion of an original research paper. Mercuri’s research focused on the visual representation of women in the Italian magazine Enotria between 1922 and 1942. Her study highlights how female imagery was used as a propaganda tool and offers a broader reflection on contemporary wine communication, encouraging the sector to critically examine cultural models and stereotypes.

Through Mercuri Wine Club, she integrates education and consultancy, offering in-person and online courses, bespoke training programmes and strategic development projects across the wine value chain. On the B2B side, the company supports wineries, restaurants and professionals through staff training, sales strategies, wine list development and brand positioning. It also promotes socially impactful initiatives, including scholarships and dedicated training pathways for young professionals and women.