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Bibendum Buyer Tim Marson and those two magic letters - 07/09/2009

You can just about eke a decent Scrabble score out of them and if you turn one of them upside down it does become the other. But probably the most interesting thing about the letters M and W is that they are the Holy Grail in the wine trade. So many try and most of them fail, for one reason or another. There are now 280 worldwide after the latest intake of 8 took place last week. Everyone here at Bibendum wants to wish Tim Marson HUGE congratulations for his achievement.

"I am delighted to have successfully overcome the final hurdle in this challenging vinous adventure. All the hard work suddenly seems worth it! After 8 years in the MW programme the sense of relief is enormous: I'll be dining out on this one for a while... Being part of such an august and revered institution is a great honour - one which has yet to sink in. Meanwhile, the response from colleagues, friends and (now fellow) MWs has been almost as overwhelming as the excitement of the result itself: thank you everyone for your notes of congratulations."

Tim's dissertation topic was chosen with a slight bias - his girlfriend lives in Portland, Oregon - and was entitled "Appellation Willamette: an investigation into the subdivision of the northern Willamette Valley AVA and its effects upon the region's wine industry". It relates to the recent creation of six new sub-appellations in Oregon's most important wine producing region and the impact these are having on the local industry.

The debate over their worthiness and relevance has certainly divided opinion locally, and is one that resonates across the New World as producers seek to establish and communicate a sense of terroir without the limitations of European-style winemaking legislation.

Tim has been with Bibendum since 2006 and is responsible for wine buying in the Northern Hemisphere, with a particular focus on France and the USA. He's been responsible for spreading infinite enthusiasm for wine throughout Bibendum, often using his catchphrase "Get Involved!". To the suffix GI, he can now proudly add MW.